“Praise God.”
That was the first thought of Detroit Pistons general manager Troy Weaver upon seeing his franchise won the 2021 NBA draft lottery Tuesday night, and own the first pick in the July 29 draft.
Finally, there is a shining beacon of hope for one of the core-four Detroit sports teams.
“We’ll be ready to pick,” Pistons general manager Weaver said, noting he’ll look at five players at No. 1. “I’m happy I have the number one pick. I’m ecstatic … getting the pick right, that’s what I was hired for.”
On the live telecast after the draft order was announced, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Oklahoma State guard/forward Cade Cunningham, the consensus No. 1 prospect, will only visit one team prior to the draft: The Pistons.
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Cunningham, a 6-foot-8, 220-pound guard/forward who turns 20 in September, averaged 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists, shooting 43.8% overall, 40% on 3-pointers and 84.6% on free throws over 27 games. The Cowboys were a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament and lost in the second round.
Here’s a sampling of the reaction, starting with Detroit’s own, Jalen Rose:
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