The bad news for the Pistons is, they fell out of the NBA Draft’s top three. Good news is, they won’t have to engage in the loud, rancorous debate over which super-hyped players should go one, two, or three.
With one flip of the lottery card Tuesday night, the Pistons’ focus shifted, and so will the argument. Landing at No. 5 wasn’t ideal but shouldn’t be devastating. It means they probably won’t get to choose between Gonzaga’s 7-foot, 195-pound Chet Holmgren, Auburn’s 6-10 Jabari Smith or Duke’s 6-10 Paolo Banchero, which also means they won’t have to fret about a high-stakes gamble.