Detroit Pistons: 5 predictions for the 2023 NBA Draft
Fans of the Detroit Pistons have been waiting for this day since Cade Cunningham went out with a season-ending injury back in November of 2022, but the 2023 NBA Draft is finally upon us.
For the last couple of seasons, fans had a pretty good idea of what the Pistons were going to do, as Cunningham was a slam-dunk pick, as was Jaden Ivey after he fell to 5th. The only real suprise last year was that Troy Weaver was able to swing a trade that landed a second pick, which he used to select Jalen Duren.
This year? I have no earthy clue what the Detroit Pistons are going to do, and neither does anyone else, as the mock drafts are all over the place and the picks are a complete toss up after Victor Wembanyama goes #1.
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So I’m sure some of these predictions will look stupid by the end of the night, maybe even before, but I am going to go for it anyway. Last year’s predictions went relatively well (some misses, some hits), so let’s run it back and see how foolish I look at this time next year.
Detroit Pistons: 5 predictions for the 2023 NBA Draft
#1: There won’t be any big trades in the top-3
We’ve heard a lot of talk about the possibility of the Charlotte Hornets trading the 2nd pick for a star player like Zion Williamson, but in the end, the right offer may never be put on the table. It’s going to be hard for them to get equal value, especially after they made it clear that they prefer Brandon Miller. Of course that could all be smoke, but if the Hornets were trying to drive up the price for the 2nd pick, wouldn’t they be fawning over Scoot Henderson to make people think they may pick him?
Same for Portland, who would probably love to move the third pick but won’t find the right trade to do it. If Scoot falls into their laps, the Trail Blazer’s brass may think they can have the best of both worlds with a team with a bunch of young talent (Henderson, Sharpe, Simons) but enough veterans (Dame, Grant?) to actually compete in the Western Conference.
I still think there is a good chance the top-3 goes chalk and we see Wembanyama, Henderson and Miller in that order.