The Detroit Pistons were the winners of this year’s draft lottery.
They are now holding the first pick in the draft for the first time since 1970 when they selected Bob Lanier.
The Pistons have also not held a top three pick since 2003 when they infamously selected Darko Milicic with the second overall pick.
Now they have the top selection, which means the draft runs through them.
Other teams have to feel out what the Pistons want to gauge their own draft.
However, we should expect the Pistons to select Cade Cunningham out of Oklahoma State.
That has been the consensus before the draft; that Cunningham is the first choice.
If they do not make a trade with the #Pistons for the No. 1 overall pick in the draft for Cade Cunningham, the #Rockets will be selecting Jalen Green No. 2 overall.
(h/t @BrettSiegelNBA) pic.twitter.com/e5UsrKhIj2
— NBA Analysis Network (@HoopAnalysisNet) July 17, 2021
Sometimes that can change over time with the draft process going as long as it does.
The Pistons do not need to stay at one.
They can easily make a move with a team that so desperately wants the first pick and Cunningham.
Maybe the Pistons should listen to some offers.
Build By Adding More
Cunningham has been the first pick since his first collegiate game.
However, that does not diminish the value around the draft prospects.
Evan Mobley has the chance to be a generational type of big man in this league.
Jalen Green is an athletic freak that has the ability to be an elite scorer in this league.
The Pistons can use the aggressiveness of another franchise and add more for the future.
A team like the Golden State Warriors owns two lottery picks plus a young talent in James Wiseman.
Other teams can trade a future pick with the great chance of it being great value for the Pistons.
The Pistons are not one player away from title contention, or even playoff contention.
They are in the midst of a rebuild with some talent sprinkled on the roster.
Jerami Grant is their current best player, but he is not a special talent.
The future was looking rather dim before the lottery.
Now the Pistons have a chance to add more to what they initially had.
Draft Who You Want
The problem with having the first pick sometimes can be the tendency of drafting who everyone says needs to go first overall.
We expect that the experts know what is right and go for what they perceive as the correct selection.
Lonzo Ball going to the Los Angeles Lakers is an example of taking someone that you felt like you had to.
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks did that when they selected Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker over Joel Embiid.
Your gut can be right and something can turn you away.
Of course sometimes a team takes the guy they wanted and it backfires.
Anthony Bennett is the prime example of that.
However, the Pistons have been rumored to be enamored by Green.
According to sources, the Detroit Pistons are enamored with prospect Jalen Green while the Houston Rockets are keen on Oklahoma State star Cade Cunningham.
Trade discussions are ongoing but it feels like those two players are all but locked in at the top of the 2021 NBA Draft.
— Evan Dammarell (@AmNotEvan) July 13, 2021
The only problem is that Cunningham is supposed to be the first pick.
By trading down to the second spot, they can grab the man they wanted.
Take the Boston Celtics for example in 2017.
They owned the first pick in the draft, but wanted Jayson Tatum over Markelle Fultz.
Fultz was deemed the consensus first choice, but the Celtics refused.
That is what drove them to trading down and grabbing the guy they wanted plus some other picks thrown in.
The Pistons should grab the player they really want and not what others believe is the right choice.
NEXT: Dream Starting Lineup For Pistons Featuring Cade Cunningham
Adam J says
All these reports about Pistons being enamoured with shaken Green fail to realize that this info was out there before the Pistons scored the first pick. They would have loved Green if they were picking 3 or 4. As soon as they win the first pick they shifted their focus on Cunningham. They have not come out and said Cade is the pick because why would they? They can way options but there is no way they will trade Cade for another teams scraps and future mid round picks.
Adam J says
Jalen Green. Darn autocorrect.