NBA Draft Lottery 2023: Landing Wemby would be epic moment for Pistons, Detroit sports

NBA Draft Lottery set for Tuesday night

FILE - Boulogne-Levallois' Victor Wembanyama celebrates after a dunk against Lyon-Villeurbanne during a basketball game in Levallois, France, Jan. 9, 2023. On Sunday, May 7, 2023, he played before a crowd of about 15,000 fans in Paris as part of his farewell tour before coming to the NBA. Wembanyama is about a week away from learning which team will be picking him in the NBA Draft. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, File) (Michel Euler, Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

NBA Draft Lottery night is upon us, and there’s just so much at stake.

The Pistons are once again tied for the best odds to land the top pick -- and if they do, not only would it be the second time they landed it in the last three years, but they’d land one of the highest rated basketball prospects in the last 20 years.

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The top prize in this year’s draft -- Victor Wembanyama. A 7′2″ center from France who plays positionless basketball. He can shoot from anywhere, score efficiently and seamlessly, and he plays defense.

Affectionally known as Wemby, he’s a once-in-a-lifetime basketball prospect. And if Pistons lands the first pick, Wemby would easily become the most popular athlete in Detroit.

Detroit has never seen the likes of a potential international superstar like Wemby. He’d immediately make the Pistons a must-watch team, joining a young core that includes former top pick Cade Cunningham, and last year’s first round picks Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren.

---> Wembanyama about to learn his NBA destination, with the draft lottery on Tuesday

The Pistons haven’t been seriously competitive in more than a decade. Landing Wemby would bolster all rebuilding and restoring (whatever the GM wants to call it), clicking fast-forward on the timeline to be a watchable basketball team yet again.

The Rockets, San Antonio and Detroit all have the best chance of landing Wembanyama — 14% apiece, or about 7-1. The odds decrease a bit as one goes down the line of the other lottery hopefuls: Charlotte (12.5%), Portland (10.5%), Orlando (9%), Indiana (6.8%), Washington (6.7%), Utah (4.5%), Dallas (3%), Chicago (1.8%), Oklahoma City (1.7%), Toronto (1%) and New Orleans (0.5%).

---> NBA Draft Lottery 2023: Team odds, what time, TV and streaming info

We don’t know which way the balls will bounce tonight -- and any of the top three picks would be a big boost for the Pistons -- but landing Wemby would change the Detroit sports market as we know it.

So cross your fingers, toes and eyes.


About the Author:

Ken Haddad has proudly been with WDIV/ClickOnDetroit since 2013. He also authors the Morning Report Newsletter and various other newsletters, and helps lead the WDIV Insider team. He's a big sports fan and is constantly sipping Lions Kool-Aid.