Last year was a renaissance for Detroit basketball. The Pistons, with a preseason win total of just 25.5 wins, nearly doubled their expectation en route to being the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Once in the dance, Detroit gave the New York Knicks all they could handle, before eventually bowing out in six games. Even with that, such a remarkable turn around makes you wonder what could be in store for an encore this year.
Cade Cunningham made the leap that you would hope for from a former number one overall pick, which was to be expected given the amount of shooting the Pistons finally added around him. It was clear from the start that Cade was going to thrive in new coach JB Bickerstaff’s system, but it was the emergence of other pieces that made the Pistons viable. Ausar Thompson should be a stalwart for years to come, who alongside big man Jalen Duren, should be a dynamic duo for years to come. The test for Detroit will be how well they backfilled their shooting from last year, after losing Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley. Time will tell.
Detroit Pistons: Over/Under 46.5 wins (-110/-110)
Last season: 44-38
Additions: Paul Reed, Caris Levert, Duncan Robinson
Losses: Tim Hardaway Jr. (Denver), Malik Beasley (pending investigation), Dennis Schroeder (Sacramento)
The Pistons were likely to resign Malik Beasley, who was second in the NBA in three pointers made last year, before the investigation into potential gambling allegations from his time in Milwaukee have him on the free agent market. Detroit did well to reload behind him and Hardaway, as they acquired Caris Levert and Duncan Robinson, who are both quality adds. The addition of Paul Reed also provides some much needed insurance for Jalen Duren and the big man rotation. I’m very interested to see if Cade has another level to go to here, especially in a weakened Eastern Conference.
