We are now 20 days and counting until the NBA season kicks off, and the NBA Preseason is in full swing with the Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers preparing to square off for NBA India Games 2019 tomorrow, October 3rd. Everyday we grow closer to the highly anticipated start of the NBA Season, but now we continue the NBA Countdown with #20, the 41-41 Detroit Pistons.
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20. Detroit Pistons (41-41) – When will Motor City find themselves back in the driver’s seat?
If we’re being real, the Detroit Pistons haven’t been a team in the conversation of great NBA teams since they won the NBA Championship back in 2003. 16 Years later, with the recent acquisition of Blake Griffin, fans actually had some form of hope in terms of contention. This however was very short-lived, after a swift exit in the NBA Playoffs.
Looking at the roster this upcoming season, Pistons’ fans have even more to be excited about, with a multitude of additions to the roster with Piston’s Senior Adviser, Ed Stefanski, stating that the team is “deeper and grittier” after off-season moves were made. The Pistons have been trying to establish their identity within the league, which potentially becomes easier with stronger depth with skilled players. Names like Derrick Rose, Tony Snell, and Joe Johnson being added to the team can only mean good things for this team on top of having Blake Griffin, Langston Galloway, Andre Drummond, and Reggie Jackson at the teams’ core.
The Piston’s should be very proud of their off-season moves, but just how far can they go with 8 new additions to the team, all the while trying to establish themselves as a basketball team. It only seems like there should be an upswing from the organization, but there are many questions to be asked, such as can Joe Johnson be same threat as he was in the Big 3 League? Or just how well will all the new additions buy-in to Dwayne Casey? Pistons fans should be excited, but at the same time be cautious considering anything can happen in this league, for good or bad.
Back to the discussion of the depth of this team, is an area that had to be a priority for the Pistons this past season. Their bench seasons prior were mediocre at best, but making changes such as Derrick Rose coming off the bench, taking Ish Smith’s spot, is a legitimate upgrade for this team. Smith and Rose both played about 50 games last season, but Rose statistically outperformed Smith in all facets. Additionally, having Tony Snell, a genuine 3 and D wing player, and Joe Johnson, a walking bucket, is exactly what a team that comprises of post-up bigs need.
Regardless of what happens this season however, I’m personally excited to watch the Pistons this season. There is a ridiculous amount of potential for this team, and if Dwayne Casey can rally these guys together, the Pistons will definitely be a team to be reckoned with. They also have the potential to contend for the second place in their division against the Pacers( because lets face it, the Central Division currently belongs to the Milwaukee Bucks).
Facing all the facts, I got the Pistons making it to the Playoffs again this year, somewhere probably towards the bottom of the playoff picture again. The Eastern Conference took some hits this season (again), and realistically the only things stopping the Pistons is a lack of cohesion, or other teams in the Eastern Conference having breakout years.
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