The Detroit Pistons tumbled to No. 5 in the upcoming NBA Draft, and with it a lot of fans got awfully depressed awfully quickly. It is somewhat understandable considering most people had this upcoming draft pegged with a clear top 3 — Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith Jr. in some order.
But drafting fifth doesn’t necessarily mean the Pistons are picking through scraps, and history points to the fifth pick turning out just about as well as any other place in the top 5.
First, let’s dive into former Pistons drafted No.