For the second straight season, the Detroit Pistons will not be involved in the NBA playoffs. Instead they will be forced to start the offseason early and prepare for the NBA Draft. While the NBA Draft Lottery has to happen before the final order is determined, that doesn't mean we have to wait around for mock drafts, as SB Nation's first 2011 NBA mock draft was released today.
In SB Nation's mock, the Detroit Pistons are predicted to select Kentucky forward Terrence Jones. Jones is expected to declare for the 2011 NBA Draft after spending only one season at Kentucky. He helped the Wildcats make it to the Final Four, where they lost to eventual champion UConn.
Jones averaged 15.7 points per game and 8.8 rebounds per game during his freshman season at Kentucky. In the Final Four game against UConn, he scored 11 points and grabbed 15 boards. He has good size (6-foot-8, 244 pounds), which is why the thinking is that he could give Greg Monroe some help in the front court.