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

Portland wins our lottery simulation (again!) and gets Victor Wembanyama, the crown jewel of the 2023 NBA Draft. He’s the most hyped prospect since LeBron James, a 7-foot-4 marvel with remarkable offensive skill and sky-high defensive potential.

Wembanyama has developed at a rapid rate for Metropolitans 92 in France. Once mostly a play finisher with the occasional flash of high-level shooting, Wemby is now handling the ball in pick-and-rolls and shooting one-legged fadeaways from 3. His release point might be actually unblockable, so he doesn’t need much space to create a good look at the basket.

The Blazers suddenly form a thrilling cross-section of the old generation and the new generation. Damian Lillard has practically aged into NBA royalty. He’s the grizzled vet, the guy who goes on podcasts and talks about the good ol’ days. Wemby is the perfect modern big, skilled on the perimeter with the ability to completely wall off the paint on defense. Portland has been losing ground in the race to build a contender around Dame in his prime. Wemby would be a welcomed boon — he’s going to be very good right away.

He also fills a position of need, not that it really matters when talking about a prospect of Wembanyama’s caliber. But Jusuf Nurkic has declined precipitously this season and the Blazers’ rim protection (or lack thereof) has been a real point of weakness. Wemby is a fast and easy solution.