For the fourth consecutive year the Detroit Pistons entered Sunday’s NBA Draft Lottery tied for the best odds at landing the top pick.
And while Detroit lucked out in 2021, landing Cade Cunningham with the No. 1 overall pick, no such luck was had in either of the last two lotteries.
That lack of lottery luck continued on Sunday as Detroit wound up with the 5th overall pick for the third straight year.
The Atlanta Hawks entered Sunday with the 10th best odds of landing the top pick, yet secured the coveted top spot. The Washington Wizards will pick No. 2, the Houston Rockets third and the San Antonio Spurs at No. 4.
Ausar Thompson, the Pistons' first-round pick in last year's draft, represented the team at the lottery.
Many have compared this year’s draft class to 2013, widely considered among the worst the league has ever seen.
While there’s no clear-cut top prospect, Alexandre Sarr appears to have a leg up on the competition. If he goes No. 1, he would be the second straight French prospect to earn the honor.
CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish describes Sarr as “a high-energy, versatile frontcourt prospect” and compares him to former MSU Spartan Jaren Jackson Jr., “but without the established 3-point shot.”
“Is Sarr a can't-miss player? No. But he would be a nice fit in Detroit next to Jalen Duren and could become the piece that ultimately returns the Pistons to respectability,” Parrish wrote in his latest mock draft before the lottery.
But that likely won't be happening after the latest bout of bad lottery luck for Detroit.
Other top prospects in this year’s class include Kentucky sharpshooters Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham, the UConn duo of point guard Stephon Castle and center Donovan Clingan, and Zaccharie Risacher, another French forward.
The ABC broadcast of the lottery listed Risacher ahead of Sarr as the best available prospect.