Detroit Pistons Go Big in 2024 NBA Mock Draft

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With the 2024 NBA Playoffs underway, the Detroit Pistons are doing their yearly homework on the incoming draft class. Once again, the Pistons are in line for a top pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Even if the Pistons land the No. 1 pick this year, their potential selection is still up in the air. Without a Victor Wembanyama-type prospect in the pool, prospect rankings have been all over the place.
In a recent mock draft put together by Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman, the Pistons win the No. 1 pick in the lottery and bet big on a big, selecting Perth Wildcats center, Alex Sarr.
The Reason for the Selection
"Alex Sarr will have a strong case here for Detroit, with 7'1" size, athleticism and translatable defense that create a high floor, plus shooting potential and ball-handling flashes that hint at offensive upside and a chance for the big man to play some power forward.
Zaccharie Risacher would slide into Detroit's lineup the easiest, but limited creation feels problematic for a wing, and his current shooting slump could raise questions about his supposed bread-and-butter skill."
In today’s NBA, centers tend to be a lot more versatile, stretching the floor offensively and being able to guard multiple positions on the other end of the floor.
Sarr fits the profile, but he’ll still have a lot to work on when he reaches the next level.
In the NBL, Sarr has 24 games of regular season experience under his belt. This past season, he averaged 17 minutes on the floor. He knocked down 60 percent of his twos, averaging roughly 30 percent from beyond the arc on two attempts per game.
Offensively, Sarr produced ten points per game. Defensively, he blocked nearly two shots per game, and came down with four rebounds per outing.
The Pistons have garnered a lot of interest in international draft prospects as well as former Overtime Elite talent. Having experience on both stages, Sarr is definitely a name to keep an eye on as a potential Pistons pick when the draft rolls around.
Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia
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