Detroit Pistons Missed The No. 1 Draft Pick 3 Years In A Row Despite Having The Best Odds Each Time

The Detroit Pistons have been one of the worst franchises in the NBA since the 2018-19 season when they fell to a one-sided first-round loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. The Pistons haven't returned to the Playoffs since, spending the last four seasons as one of the three worst teams in the NBA.

Their tank paid off in 2021 when they drafted Cade Cunningham after receiving the No. 1 overall pick. But in the three years since, the Pistons have had the best odds at landing the No. 1 overall pick but have fallen each time to No. 5, including in the 2024 Draft Lottery which took place last night. 

2022 NBA Draft 

Detroit Pistons Odds For No. 1 Pick - 14% 

Results of the 2022 NBA Draft: Pistons fell to No. 5

No. 1 Pick - Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic 

Pistons' Pick - Jaden Ivey

This was a three-headed Draft heading into selection night, with Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, and Jabari Smith Jr. as the solidified top-three picks. There was little separating the three at the time of the Draft, but the Pistons had the poor fortune of crashing to the No. 5 spot in the 2022 Draft Lottery where they selected Jaden Ivey. 

Ivey has averaged 15.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists through the first two seasons of his NBA career but doesn't look to be as impactful as Paolo Banchero, who's already been named an All-Star and carried a young Magic squad to the Playoffs as the No. 5 seed. The Pistons also acquired the rights to Jalen Duren via trade on Drfat night, so they made the right moves which could still pay off in the long run.

2023 NBA Draft

Detroit Pistons Odds For No. 1 Pick - 14%

Results of the 2023 NBA Draft: Pistons fell to No. 5

No. 1 Pick - Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

Pistons' Pick - Ausar Thompson

Many teams in the NBA decided to bottom out for the impending arrival of Victor Wembanyama and no team tanked harder for the French center than the Pistons. They had the worst record in the NBA and were hoping that the lottery Gods would give them Wemby. If not Wemby, they'd be happy with the other top projected talents in Brandon Miller or Scoot Henderson.

The Pistons were the first team to fall out of the top four in the 2023 Draft Lottery as the Trail Blazers, relegating Detroit to selecting Ausar Thompson after his twin brother Amen was picked No. 4 by the Houston Rockets. Ausar had a decent rookie season, averaging 8.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.9 blocks, but nothing that could compare to Wembanyama's unanimous Rookie of the Year campaign. 

2024 NBA Draft

Detroit Pistons Odds For No. 1 Pick - 14%

Results of the 2024 NBA Draft: Pistons fell to No. 5

No. 1 Pick - TBA, Atlanta Hawks

Pistons' Pick - TBA

We do not know who the Pistons will draft in 2024 or who the top pick will even be given the lack of a standout talent in this class like the years prior. The impact of falling to No. 5 in this Draft is not as impactful as what it was in the past two seasons, so the Pistons will likely have a list of targets that could slot into the No. 5 pick provided they don't get selected higher up.

The current projected No. 1 pick is another French center, Alexander Sarr. The Pistons would likely want a wing like Zaccharie Risacher, but the French forward is expected to be drafted higher as of now. Players like Matas Buzelis would be more within the Pistons' range and allow them to solidify a core of Cunningham, Ivey, Thompson, Buzelis, and Duren to be their starting five of the future.

The Pistons Drafted Darko Milicic Over Carmelo Anthony And Dwyane Wade In 2003 

Getting the lottery Gods to give you a top-three pick is one thing but successfully using it is another thing. The Pistons were contenders in 2003 when they owned the Memphis Grizzlies pick which was top-one protected for the 2003 Draft. 

The Grizzlies pick fell to No. 2 and conveyed to the Pistons, who had their pick of the litter after LeBron James made his way over to the Cleveland Cavaliers with the No. 1 pick. With future Hall of Famers like Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh on the board, the Pistons went for enigmatic European big man Darko Milicic. 

Darko was a raw prospect with a high ceiling but he never got a chance to develop on the contending Pistons, who went on to win a title that season despite passing on three generational talents. Milicic is the youngest NBA Champion ever due to that draft selection, a fact that irks Carmelo Anthony to this day as he expected to be selected No. 2 and retired without a championship ring.

Milicic averaged just 1.6 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks in three seasons with the Pistons, making him an unquestionable bust without even considering what the three players drafted after him achieved. 

Dark would succeed as a rotational big man over his career and spent 10 seasons in the NBA. Milicic's example shows that the lottery balls don't decide your fate but how you use the picks that you get.