The Detroit Pistons found no love in the NBA Draft Lottery for the second year in a row, dropping from the 1st spot to the worst-case scenario, which is the 5th pick, a number fans are very familiar with.
This will be the third straight year the Pistons have the 5th pick, second in a row where they dropped there after having the worst record in the NBA in case you were wondering how things are going in Detroit.
The Pistons don’t even have a decision-maker, so who knows what direction they will go in the draft. I asked the fans about four prospects, and they followed the conventional wisdom that the Pistons will select two-way wing Matas Buzelis, who fills a need and is also a client of Arn Tellem’s son:
Who would you draft of these four players? Who else do you like?
— PistonPowered (@PistonPowered) May 14, 2024
But in this NBA Mock Draft, we are going to go against the grain and choose a player who has not been the consensus choice so far.
2024 NBA Mock Draft
#1: Atlanta Hawks select Alex Sarr
No one knows what the Hawks will do with this pick, and there is a strong possibility that they will trade it to put a more proven player around Trae Young, or whichever of their star backcourt they keep.
Sarr makes sense if they keep the pick, as he has the potential to be a more dynamic big man who can protect the rim and take over for Clint Capela, who I assume the Hawks would try to move in this scenario.
Capela might be an interesting short-term option for the Detroit Pistons if they strike out elsewhere, as he would add some rim protection without any long-term commitment.