Pistons News: Who Experts Expect Team to Select with No. 5 Pick
The Detroit Pistons entered Tuesday's NBA draft lottery tied for the best odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick. They left the event with the No. 5 selection, which likely feels like a letdown.
Still, this all comes down to framing one's mindset.
Yes, it would have been all-caps AWESOME to get a shot at Victor Wembanyama, but the pingpong balls didn't bounce that way. Detroit still gets a solid consolation prize of being able to add to its young nucleus with another top-five pick.
Who can the Pistons get in that spot? To help answer that question, we're examining mock drafts from some of the leading draft experts around and highlighting three prospects projected to land in Detroit.
Ausar Thompson, G, Overtime Elite
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Ausar Thompson dazzled with his twin brother, Amen, for Overtime Elite over the past two seasons. Now, both of them could be top-five picks.
Yahoo Sports' Krysten Peek had the brothers going in back-to-back picks, with the Houston Rockets adding Amen at No. 4 and the Pistons taking Ausar at No. 5.
"Ausar is one of the best on-ball defenders in this draft class," Peek wrote. "... He can slide in as a secondary guard on the wing for the Pistons and bring some added pressure defensively on the perimeter."
Thompson shines brightest on defense, which should work for the Pistons following their 27th-place finish in defensive efficiency this past season, per NBA.com. He needs to improve as a shooter, but he'd jolt Detroit's offense with playmaking and finishing as that jumper develops.
Jarace Walker, PF, Houston
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The Pistons have stockpiled bigs in recent years, but that didn't stop two experts from sending another frontcourt player to the Motor City.
Both B/R's Jonathan Wasserman and ESPN's Jonathan Givony have the Pistons adding Jarace Walker at No. 5.
"With Walker and [Jalen] Duren, Detroit would have the strongest 4-5 pairing in the league," Wasserman wrote. "But it's Walker's potential to stretch the floor, attack closeouts, pass off the live dribble, hit specialty shots and overwhelm defensively with his power and length that creates such a unique outlook."
Walker has good length (6'6½" with a 7'2½" wingspan) and plenty of bulk (249 lbs), which allows him to handle defensive assignments of nearly all sizes and play styles. Shooting will be a big swing skill for him, but he'll add tons of value as a pick-and-roll screener, since he can handle, pass and finish with feel.
Cam Whitmore, SF, Villanova
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Between their glut of bigs and backcourt combo of Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey, the Pistons would probably prefer to leave this draft with a wing.
That's exactly what The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor has them doing by spending the No. 5 pick on Cam Whitmore.
"Despite a nearly yearlong absence for Cade Cunningham, the future is still bright," O'Connor wrote. "Whitmore fits with Cunningham and Jaden Ivey as a versatile wing, but he also provides long-term upside with his quick first step as a scorer."
Not to sound like a broken record, but Whitmore has the same question marks with his shooting potential. Push past those, though, and there's a wealth of ability here, including the ability to create, versatile defense and explosive athleticism.
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