Detroit has been hungry for a sports championship since 2008, when the Red Wings took home the Stanley Cup. Many of its teams are ready to compete after seemingly endless rebuilds. Unfortunately, the Pistons seem to be the exception.
A new coach, some solid young talent and little to no expectations from fans is a recipe for success, right?
After the Pistons’ rough 1-4 start, it didn’t seem like it – but after winning two more games and losing a close one against the Charlotte Hornets, things may not be as bad as we think. With the new NBA season just getting underway, there is no better time for the Pistons to start playing like a real professional team.
The Pistons posted a historically bad record of 14-68 last season, and while fans didn’t expect them to make huge strides, this is just brutal. Former number one overall pick Cade Cunningham has been playing well, as well as young point guard Jaden Ivey.
I’ll be honest, I haven’t watched as much of the Pistons since the Blake Griffin era, but I follow them closely enough to know that there is a problem at Little Caesars Arena. But what is it?
The Problem(s) With the Pistons
Short answer? Business and coaching.
Big market cities like Boston, New York and Los Angeles dominate when it comes to getting players to join their squad, but smaller cities like Detroit, Sacramento and Milwaukee struggle. This is because big market cities simply have more fans and more revenue to improve their teams.
So, why would a free agent want to join a laughable team in a small market town like Detroit? There isn’t much draw to Detroit at the moment, even with the vast improvements to the city and its other sports teams.
With that being said, the Pistons haven’t been in the playoffs since they got swept by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2019, during the aforementioned Blake Griffin era. Even with multiple high first round draft picks leading to budding young stars, a coaching issue seems to be Detroit’s biggest problem at the moment.
Going through three coaches in just two seasons has to be hard on the players, especially the younger ones that are still adjusting to the NBA. This leads to a lot of hopeless fans and mediocre basketball, which in turn makes players not want to play in Detroit.
Without much star power or flash, the Pistons are left with the hand they’ll be dealt in the draft. The draft seems to be something Detroit has improved at recently, though. For example, Cunningham and Ivey have been solid pickups in the draft, but Detroit needs more.
Picking up forward Tobias Harris in free agency has brought back a veteran player that the young Pistons could use. The Pistons are the fifth-youngest team in the NBA as of the beginning of the 2024-2025 season, so having a veteran like Harris around can only help the younger guys learn the professional game.
If the Pistons don’t figure things out soon though, young stars like Cunningham and Ivey will want out of Detroit. This would leave the team in even worse shape, so if they don’t start competing for at least the play-in tournament this season or next, things might get even worse.
With all that being said, the Pistons don’t have a lot of upsides when it comes to the program as a whole. The draft lottery never seems to work in their favor, and they take risks in the draft that rarely pan out.
It’s Not All Bad, Right?
With so many downsides, it seems like the Pistons have no hope. The players are most likely still adjusting to new head coach J.B Bickerstaff, who had the Cleveland Cavaliers playing well when he was their coach.
If the Pistons find their stride at some point this season, and it is still very early, I think they could easily fight for a play-in tournament spot. With the 22nd hardest remaining schedule, I could see them taking advantage of some of the easier games on their schedule and getting a few solid wins against some tougher opponents.
Speaking of solid wins, on Monday night the Pistons beat the Los Angeles Lakers 115-103 at home. This was a huge confidence boost, and their second win in a row, so things could be getting better sooner than later.
Although I’ve given the Pistons a lot of hate, the season is still very young and it is up to them to turn it around.
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