If Detroit Gets The No. 1 Pick...

When the Detroit Pistons won the draft lottery last year, Cade Cunningham was widely viewed as the consensus No. 1 overall pick. There were some that thought Jalen Green should be considered, but most believed it would be Cunningham and it was, and that proved to be the right pick. This year, there are three or four players who could potentially go No. 1 depending on which team wins the lottery. Detroit, along with the Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic, have the highest chance of getting the top pick. If Detroit gets it, here's what they should do according to ESPN's NBA Draft expert Mike Schmitz. 

Player the Pistons should select with the No. 1 pick: Chet Holmgren

Holmgren is the ideal prospect to unlock the best parts of Cade Cunningham while addressing some of the Pistons' most pressing issues. Until they added Marvin Bagley III, Detroit sorely lacked a lob catcher for Cunningham, as they shot just 60.6% at the rim last season, 28th in the league. Holmgren shot 80% at the rim last season, far and away the best mark in the NCAA among players to take at least 100 shots at the rim. He's the best vertical spacer of the potential top-3 picks.

The Pistons also ranked 30th in the NBA in non-corner 3 accuracy at 32.1%, and 28th in frequency on above the break 3s. Smith addresses this need immediately, but he doesn't offer the lob-catching AND rim protection as Holmgren, who shot 39% from beyond the arc as a freshman.

Adding a pick-and-pop threat like Holmgren will give Cunningham the necessary space to use his size, strength and skill level to score more efficiently inside the arc than he did as a rookie. Offensively, Holmgren also perfectly complements both Isaiah Stewart and Bagley III, while giving Saddiq Bey more space for mid-post isolations, where he's really effective.

Smith is a strong fit on both ends given his stellar defense and ability to function as more of a piece early on in his career. While adding a 6-10, 250-pound offensive talent like Banchero would make the Pistons incredibly dynamic, he isn't quite as natural of a fit alongside Cunningham. Banchero is still improving his ability to play off the catch, with much of his success coming from self-created shots.

On top of all that, the Pistons are sorely missing a true rim protector, and don't have any real shot blockers. Holmgren wouldn't have to worry about checking the NBA's bruisers like Joel Embiid if he's playing alongside a physical big like Stewart.

So while Smith is an excellent fit alongside Cunningham and Bey, and adding an offensive talent like Banchero would take pressure off Cunningham and make the Pistons even more exciting, Holmgren plugs the most holes and can function as a complement to Detroit's star point guard

I agree with every single thing Schmitz said above. Holmgren feels a little more like a gamble than the others, but I think the upside is through the roof with him in a way that the others simply can't touch. Legit 7-footers with his skill set are just rare. 

Smith is extremely versatile and is probably the most ready overall, but the NBA is full of guys like him. Banchero is physically ready to play right now, but as Schmitz outlined, he's a little limited on offense and I think his defense is subpar for how physically gifted he is, which tells me that he'll always lack a little bit on that end. And with Ivey, I just don't think he's elite enough at anything to make a huge difference alongside Cunningham. 

If the Pistons win the lottery, they should take Holmgren and watch him flourish as a direct beneficiary of playing with Cunningham and next to Isaiah Stewart, who would then be able to focus entirely on being a great defender and rebounder. With Holmgren in the lineup, he and Stewart can just do what they're good at all game long. I really like the sound of that.