Well, the dream did not happen and the Detroit Pistons did not get the #1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
It was a devastating fall to 5th for Detroit, though past the 1st pick there is no real consensus about who is the best player, so it’s still very possible that the Pistons will find an impact talent.
Luckily, the Pistons still have Cade Cunningham to build around and will look to find a complement for him and Jaden Ivey in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Now that we know the lottery order, here’s how the draft could go.
FINALLY, the San Antonio Spurs get some luck in this cruel cruel world! (Sarcasm) The Spurs moved up for the 7th time in lottery history (they have never moved down) while the Pistons dropped for the 7th time.
For the third time in my life, the Spurs will get a chance to draft a generational big man. Gregg Popovich may never retire. Let’s move on because this is still too fresh.
2023 NBA Mock Draft
The Charlotte Hornets moved up two spots and are now in an interesting position. If they think Scoot Henderson is way better than Miller, than they might just take him and try to work it out with LaMelo Ball, which is the same quandary the Pistons would have had if they got the 2nd pick.
Instead, Charlotte adds the best wing prospect and a guy who is a great fit with LaMelo in Brandon Miller. He’s the archetype of what teams want in a forward in that he has size, can shoot from long range, create off the bounce and defend.
This will allow the Hornets to move on from Kelly Oubre and build around LaMelo and Miller.
2023 NBA Mock Draft
This might now be the most interesting pick in the draft, as the Trail Blazers have to decide if they want to go for it right now with Damian Lillard or start to retool around him with Scoot Henderson or one of the other top prospects.
Portland could definitely try to package this pick to land another star to put around Lillard, or could shock everyone and just trade Lillard and reboot around Scoot and Anfernee Simons.
It’s hard to see the Blazers just trading Lillard (though they probably should), so trading this pick is definitely an option, as is taking someone who is a better fit with Lillard. In other words, Portland has a lot of thinking to do here.
NBA Mock Draft
Rockets’ fans were about as upset as Pistons’ fans last night, as they fell two spots to land the 4th pick overall.
They could go in a lot of directions here, as this is really where the draft loses all semblance of a consensus. But Thompson gives them an athletic playmaker with defensive upside who could come in an start at point guard right away.
Jalen Green, Jabari Smith and Amen Thompson is not a bad trio to build around and when you add in quality role players like Tari Eason and Alperen Sengun, the Rockets are looking up. Eason and Thompson together would be fun to watch on defense and fast breaks.
2023 NBA Mock Draft: Detroit Pistons fall to 5th
The Pistons dropped the most in the NBA Draft Lottery, plummeting four spots to the 5th pick, the first time the team with the worst record has ever picked this low.
The good news is that there are still quality wings to choose from and it really just depends on what the Pistons want. They could go for an athletic defensive stopper like Ausar Thompson here. They could go with Jarace Walker, though he seems to have quite a lot of crossover with Isaiah Stewart, or they could surprise everyone and go with a guy like Taylor Hendricks.
Instead, they go with explosive forward Cam Whitmore, who may be the best two-way option and a guy who definitely complements Cade Cunningham on the wing.
Whitmore is one of the most explosive athletes in the draft, and would immediately give the Pistons a very athletic trio with Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren.
At 6-foot-7, 230 lbs, Whitmore has the size and strength to defend a couple of spots and has the upside to be a defensive stopper. Fans have been clamoring for OG Anunoby for the last few seasons and Whitmore could be that type of guy in a few years.
His ceiling may be defined by his outside shooting and a good showing in NBA Combine could help alleviate some of those concerns. If he can shoot, Whitmore could be the best wing in this draft, as the guy can jump out of the gym and projects to be a plus defender.
Like Saddiq Bey, Whitmore comes from Villanova, so we know he’ll be tough, able to defend and well coached, but unlike Bey, Whitmore has elite athleticism and can be a great defender.
This isn’t the result we wanted, but the Pistons will still get a great complement to Cade and Ivey and another young talent to add to their promising core.
2023 NBA Mock Draft
The Orlando Magic will be happy to add a potential defensive stopper who can defend four positions to a roster that already has plenty of high-end talent.
Orlando could look to use their two picks to move up, but unless they want the 4th or 5th pick, that is not likely to happen.
Ausar’s combination of athleticism and defense will play immediately in Orlando, and since they already have Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner eating up a lot of their shots, adding a guy who doesn’t need the ball in his hands to make an impact makes perfect sense.
2023 NBA Mock Draft
This is actually a perfect match for the Indiana Pacers, as Walker is a great fit with what they have, particularly alongside center Myles Turner.
Walker will do the tough, dirty work on defense, and gives Indiana an imposing defensive front court that would block a ton of shots.
Walker is another forward whose ceiling might be defined by whether he can shoot at above league average from long range, as he does pretty much everything else well.
He’s the type of versatile defender we’re seeing a lot of in these playoffs, as teams look to go small and exploit matchups on offense.
2023 NBA Mock Draft
A big, versatile guard who can defend would be a nice fit next to Bradley Beal. Black may end up playing some point guard in the NBA, and he can defend both guard spots with size, so he is a logical choice for the Wizards, who seem to be stuck in the same purgatory the Pistons were in for so many years, not good enough to compete but not bad enough to land a top pick.
But Black is a nice fit with what they have and if they can keep some of their free agents, the Wizards might be able to sneak into the play-in next season. Or they could trade Beal, let Porzingis walk and blow it up, you never know with Washington.
2023 NBA Mock Draft
The Utah Jazz were better than anyone expected this season and appear to have found a defensive gem in Walker Kessler and a star in the rejuvenated Lauri Markkanen.
Dick is one of the best pure shooters in the draft and a nice fit for them on the wing. He’s better than just a guy who stands in the corner and shoots, but doesn’t have the highest ceiling. However he does have one of the highest floors, as his combination of size, athleticism and shooting should make him a solid NBA player for years to come.
He fits right in with the Jazz culture. Take that however you’d like.
2023 NBA Mock Draft
I’m not sure adding Taylor Hendricks is going to be enough to satisfy Luka Doncic this summer and we could see this pick traded as part of a package.
But Hendricks actually makes a lot of sense for a team that needs defense and shooting from the forward position. Hendricks is a very athletic two-way forward, who really has all of the skills you’d want from a modern forward.
The big question mark is around the competition he played at UCF and whether he just looked good against guys who will not sniff the NBA. Hendricks is my sleeper pick for this draft and a guy who could end up being the perfect fit in Dallas if they don’t trade it.
2023 NBA Mock Draft
If the Magic don’t package both of their picks to move up or make a trade for an established player, then they could certainly still just trade this one, as they have more young talent than they know what to do with at this point.
They have a plethora of guys who can play point guard, plenty of forward and big-man depth, so it does make sense to add floor spreaders like Hawkins, whose stock went way up after a huge run in the NCAA Tournament.
Hawkins can get buckets from all over the floor, and would give the Magic the chance to add elite offensive and defensive weapons in the same draft thanks to a boneheaded trade by Chicago.
2023 NBA Mock Draft
The Thunder might be in the best position of any team not named San Antonio. They have a ton of young talent, Chet Holmgren will be back, they have a chest full of draft picks, a young 1st-team All NBA’er and already made the play-in tournament this season.
They could try to move this pick and a future one for another veteran to put around their young core, but adding Wallace also makes some sense.
They have the top-end offensive talent already and can keep adding guys like Wallace, tough defenders who will do anything that is needed to win. Wallace is a big point guard prospect who can do a little of everything and projects as a potentially high-end defender.
2023 NBA Mock Draft
The Raptors are another team that could go in a lot of directions this summer, as they are primed to make a big trade with one of their wings, or to package this pick to make a move. The big question is whether Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent will be back, and if not, they need to start restocking their guard depth.
George works either way, as he is a very good shooter, and can make enough plays off the bounce to play either guard spot.
2023 NBA Mock Draft
The New Orleans Pelicans choose to add another versatile defender and rim protector in Noah Clowney from Alabama.
The Pels already have plenty of scoring (if Zion and BI could ever get healthy at the same time) and need to add a rim protector around Jonas Valanciunas, who is not a versatile defender.
Clowney would be a nice fit as a guy who can already defend and could develop into a very good 3-point shooter as well.
The Pelicans already have a defensive stopper from Alabama in Herbert Jones, and it makes sense to add another as long as they have Zion and BI.
2023 NBA Mock Draft
15: Atlanta Hawks-Nick Smith Jr.
16: Utah Jazz-Jett Howard
17: LA Lakers-Brice Sensabaugh
18: Miami Heat-Leonard Miller
19: Golden State Warriors-Kobe Bufkin
20: Houston Rockets-Rayan Rupert
21: Brooklyn Nets-Donovan Clingan
22: Brooklyn Nets-Jalen Hood-Schifino
23: Portland Trail Blazers-Colby Jones
24: Sacramento Kings-Kris Murray
24: Memphis Grizzlies-Derrick Lively Jr.
26: Indiana Pacers-Jaime Jaquez Jr.
27: Charlotte Hornets-Dariq Whitehead
28: Utah Jazz-Maxwell Lewis
29: Indiana Pacers-Marcus Sasser
30: LA Clippers-Sidy Cissoko