Pistons’ 2023 NBA Draft big board: Ranking Detroit’s top 5 prospects right now

The Detroit Pistons’ 2022-23 season isn’t yet written in stone, but it’s getting there.

With only nine games remaining in the campaign, Detroit is currently at the bottom of the NBA’s standings with 16 wins. The Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs aren’t too far behind with 18 and 19 wins, respectively. The Pistons could realistically pass either team — especially Houston, which Detroit plays one more time — in the finals week of the season.

But given the plethora of injuries, the precautions the organization is taking to ensure the roster is healthy going into the summer and the team’s 1-9 record over its last 10 games, that doesn’t seem like a wise bet.

It’ll all be worth it, though, if the Pistons get blessed by Lady Luck and can land the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft — otherwise known as Victor Wembanyama, France’s latest, and maybe greatest, basketball prodigy. This season would be celebrated if that happens. Landing the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama to pair with Cade Cunningham, other intriguing young pieces and a ton of cap space this summer would make the Pistons’ future as bright as any team’s in the NBA.

However, at the end of the day, it’ll all come down to Ping-Pong balls.

As things stand now, Detroit would have a 14 percent chance at the No. 1 pick — the same as Houston and San Antonio. However, Detroit can’t fall further than the No. 5 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, so there’s a secondary benefit to being the worst team in the NBA.

Here is an educated guess at the Pistons’ top 5 big board if the season ended today, based on conversations with several scouts and NBA executives.

1. Victor Wembanyama | 7-4 center | 19 years old | Metropolitans 92

By now, you’ve heard of Wembanyama, watched the YouTube clips and probably even caught a live game or two once the NBA started streaming the future No. 1 pick’s games overseas.

If the 19-year-old big man who can shoot, dribble, pass, block shots, build a rocket ship and cure influenza doesn’t go No. 1 overall, no matter which team holds the selection, I’ll eat a rubber tire on Instagram Live. (Just allow me to use hot sauce, preferably Frank’s.)

This isn’t a proclamation that Wembanyama will unquestionably be one of the greatest players ever or that he’ll even live up to the hype as a rookie. That’s unfair to put on anyone. He is, however, as tantalizing of an NBA prospect to come along in some time. The possibilities of what he can be if all breaks right are too good to even consider someone else with the first pick.

Wembanyama will be the tallest player on the floor almost every night in the NBA, yet he can create for himself off the dribble, shoot the 3, work the pick-and-roll as either the ballhandler or roller and so much more. He’s an elite shot blocker, too.

Wembanyama’s upside is the best player in the NBA. Forget about fit when it comes to…