2023 NBA Mock Draft 5.0: Pistons face difficult choice at No. 2

The buzz around Brandon Miller is growing stronger. He has been the best freshman in college basketball by a country mile and Alabama is the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. If Miller powers the Crimson Tide on a deep run, that only increases the odds of him cracking the top 2 — a possibility that, just a couple months ago, would have felt completely incomprehensible.

If Detroit lands in the 2 spot, then it gets even more likely. Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey are cemented as the Pistons’ backcourt of the future. Are they going to pick ball-dominant guards like Scoot or Amen, or does Miller’s size (6-foot-9), elite 3-point shooting, and offensive flexibility hold greater appeal?

The off-court stuff with Miller is pretty alarming, but without getting too deep into the weeds, let’s just say that NBA teams have flimsy moral fiber when a really good basketball player is on the line. Miller has already been tied to Detroit specifically, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, and NBA executives have noted the 20-year-old’s ability to play at a high level despite “heightened scrutiny” following Miller’s alleged ties to a murder in Tuscaloosa (hot take: NBA teams might be a little too focused on the wrong part of that sentence!).

On the court, however, Miller continues to prove his talent every night. He would fit comfortably on the wing for Detroit, splashing 3s and attacking off passes from the aforementioned guard duo. If Miller develops his passing acumen and gets more comfortable finishing through contact at the rim, he has genuine All-Star potential.