That collective groan during last week’s NBA Draft Lottery was the Pistons' fan base lamenting dropping two spots to the No. 5 pick. Entering the lottery, the Pistons had the third-worst record and were tied for the best odds (14%) to get the No. 1 pick.
After getting the first pick last season and selecting Cade Cunningham, the Pistons have their franchise foundational piece, but winning the draft lottery twice in a row is akin to expecting to hit back-to-back jackpots on a slot machine.
Even still, general manager Troy Weaver and his staff find themselves in a good spot to find talent that will help them with the rebuild. There are some wild cards ahead of them, with Orlando, Oklahoma City, Houston and Sacramento, respectively, owning the top four picks. Just assuming that the top prospects, Jabari Smith, Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero and Jaden Ivey will be selected ahead of them is anything but a given.
