Where Detroit Pistons Landed in First Postseason 2024 NBA Draft Sim
With the first postseason draft simulation of 2024, the Detroit Pistons did not end up with the first pick.
After suffering a beatdown from the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday, the Detroit Pistons officially concluded the 2023-2024 NBA season with a record of 14-68.
Placing behind the Washington Wizards, the Pistons placed last in the Eastern Conference. By clinching the NBA’s worst record of the year, the Pistons hold favorable odds to land the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
However, Tankathon’s first simulation of the postseason did not give the Pistons the top selection.
Instead, the simulator landed on the Portland Trail Blazers.
Like the Pistons, the Blazers finished last in their conference. They ended the year on a five-game losing streak, finishing with a 21-61 record.
Last summer, the Blazers ended up wit the third pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. They selected the NBA G League Ignite standout, Scoot Henderson.
Meanwhile, the Pistons ended up with pick No. 5. They also opted for a non-NCAA prospect and snagged the defensive standout, Ausar Thompson.
Thompson started in 38 games, and averaged 25 minutes on the court. Offensively, he struggled with his shot, especially from beyond the arc. He scored 8.8 points per game, while shooting 48 percent from the field and 18 percent from three.
While his offense is still a work in progress, Thompson impressed with his defensive skillset more often than not. The rookie averaged seven rebounds per game, while snatching an average of one steal per game, and blocking nearly one shot on a nightly basis.
The Pistons seem satisfied with their top selection from last year. They’ll hope to get the same feeling this year.
This year’s draft doesn’t carry the same hype as last season’s, when Victor Wembanyama was entering the scene, but after going through historically tough season, the Pistons would clearly like to be rewarded with the opportunity to select any prospect they want.
Based on the first simulation after the regular season, luck wasn’t totally on their side. We’ll see if that’s the case on May 12.
