NBA Draft Lottery 2013: Detroit Pistons Possibilities

This post was written by Christopher Walder of FanSided’s NBA website Sir Charles in Charge. 

The Pistons are between a rock and a hard place with their first round draft pick.

Other than their starting frontcourt, which is fairly solidified with Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe, Detroit could use a lot of help in a lot of different areas.

Jose Calderon will (more than likely) be leaving in free-agency, while Brandon Knight has certainly underachieved to start his NBA career, so the point guard position could easily see some fine-tuning in the NBA Draft.

However, the Pistons most pressing need is at the wing.

Rodney Stuckey and Kyle Singler are not long-term options worth banking on.

The 2013 NBA Draft class has few star talents that teams can build a franchise around, but there are players worth taking a look at who could easily become solid role players on a winning team, or at the very least, a team looking to return to the postseason.

Here are three players the Pistons should keep their eyes on heading into the Draft.

1) Otto Porter, Georgetown

• Detroit doesn’t have a clear-cut go-to guy at the small forward position, so Otto Porter could realistically be the Pistons man of the future at the three spot.

Porter is a terrific scorer, averaging 16.2 points per game on 48% shooting during his sophomore year with the Hoyas. With the draft as wide-open as it is, Otto could go as high as the second overall pick. However, if he does fall, the Pistons would be wise to grab the top small forward prospect of the draft.

2) Shabazz Muhammad

• There are a lot of question marks surrounding Muhammed and his commitment to getting better and his overall attitude, so Detroit will be rolling the dice big time if they gamble with Shubazz. The talent is there, as Muhammed is a prolific scorer who can attack the basket, shoot from the perimeter and get to the free-throw line. The potential is there for him to end up being the best player of this class five years down the road. If he one day reaches that potential, Pistons management will look like geniuses.

3) Victor Oladipo, Indiana

• Victor is one of the most talented defensive wings in the draft, having averaged 2.2 steals and 0.8 blocks during his final year with the Hoosiers. The Pistons ranked 25th in defensive efficiency in 2012-13, so any help they can get in that department, they will most certainly welcome. He shot 59% from the field for Indiana, but he’s not someone that should be expected to carry a major offensive load. He’s a workhorse though, and the city of Detroit loves their athletes that hustle and put forth an all-out effort on a nightly basis. Oladipo can be that guy.