Detroit — Draft season is upon us and now that positioning was solidified through the NBA Draft Lottery, it’s officially time for my first mock draft of the 2023 offseason.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the Pistons’ search for a new head coach, the draft is rapidly approaching and the front office will need to decide whether to take a risk on another talented young player or use the fifth overall pick as leverage for future draft capital or a veteran player.
By now, most teams have done the bulk of their homework on their desired prospects. Hundreds of interviews were conducted last week in Chicago during the NBA Draft Combine to assess background and character. Evaluations were held on players’ strengths and weaknesses as they participated in various strength and agility testing, along with five-on-five scrimmages.
Outside of the lottery, these picks are solely based on positional needs for each team and how that player may fit alongside each franchise’s best player. Too much overthinking would take the fun out of these mock drafts, right?
Here’s how I imagine the first round of the NBA Draft playing out. Count on the lottery picks having a higher likelihood of being correct. As for the rest, we’ll have to see if my general manager skills are up to par.
The Pistons have two picks allotted for this year’s draft: Nos. 5 and 31. I went through a full projection of the first round and added the 31st pick as a bonus since it’s going to the Pistons as the first pick in the second round.
mcurtis@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @MikeACurtis2