The Detroit Pistons have become the kind of team people are suddenly very eager to explain away.
After winning 60 games last season, Detroit is being treated by some as a product of circumstance more than substance. The argument is familiar: a handful of Eastern Conference teams were tanking, injuries hit key players such as Tyrese Haliburton, and the Pistons supposedly benefited from a regular season approach that was more serious than the one taken by teams like the Knicks, who were title or bust and didn’t much care where they were seeded in the playoffs.
Zach Lowe recently pushed that skepticism a step further, questioning whether the Pistons would even land in the top six next season while pointing to those same factors and raising doubts about Detroit’s offseason moves.
There is some truth in all of that. But it also skips past what the Pistons actually were: a very good team last year, led by arguably the best player in the East. Detroit went 15-7 against the top-10 teams in the NBA, which makes it hard to sell the idea that the Pistons merely piled up wins against the Wizards and Nets.
And the other piece of this is simple enough: a lot of the teams being projected ahead of Detroit have plenty to prove themselves.
The Pistons do have real questions. It’s fair to wonder whether the additions of Isaiah Joe and John Collins are enough to help them go deeper in the playoffs, because those moves do not necessarily solve Detroit’s biggest issue.
But if that’s the standard, then the rest of the East deserves the same scrutiny.
Boston is being handed a top-four spot by default even though the Celtics are now relying on Paul George to play a major role. Jayson Tatum might be good enough to keep them in that range if George gets hurt, but brushing off the loss of Jaylen Brown is hard to justify.
Philadelphia, Toronto and Miami are all expected to be better, but each comes with its own mess of uncertainty. The 76ers are counting on good health from Embiid and LeBron and could hit bumps as they try to sort through all those ball-dominant players. There are a lot of egos on that team, and you never know how those situations will turn out.
The Raptors are banking on another relatively healthy season from Kawhi Leonard, who figures to be booed everywhere he goes. That’s far from a sure thing, especially after Toronto gave up an All-Star to get him.
Miami’s outlook is strong on defense, but Bam Adebayo and Giannis do mitigate some of each other’s strengths. The Heat also don’t have much depth after trading for Giannis, which leaves them with plenty of question marks of their own.
Detroit, by comparison, kept its core intact, added shooting and brings as much continuity as any of the teams near the top of the conference. That alone gives the Pistons a case to be in the mix again.
So yes, the doubts are real. But so is the revisionist history, and it risks minimizing what Detroit accomplished last season.
In Other News...
Pistons May Soon Face A Costly Ron Holland Decision
NBA teams are getting quicker to make judgment calls on young players, and the Pistons are no exception as they weigh the future of Ron Holland. Around the league, prospects are no longer getting endless runway to figure things out, with early-career moves involving players such as Rob Dillingham and Zachcharie Risacher serving as a reminder that patience has limits when front offices start looking at cap space and tax bills.
For Detroit, Hollands next team option is shaping up as an important decision point, one that would carry an $11.5 million price tag. The question is not just what Holland can become, but how much the Pistons want to commit before he has fully proven he belongs in that kind of contract tier, especially in a league that is growing more cautious about second deals for unfinished players. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Suddenly Have A Frontcourt Pairing Fans Need To Watch
Jalen Duren made an immediate impression in his preseason debut for Detroit, powering the Pistons in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves with 24 points in just 15 minutes. After sitting out earlier exhibition action, the big man wasted little time reminding everyone why his presence matters, and it came at a good moment as Detroit continues sorting through its rotation before the games count.
John Collins has already taken notice of what Duren brings, and the two figures to be one of the more interesting frontcourt pairings to watch as the preseason winds down. With the Pistons set to close out exhibition play against the Toronto Raptors, the blend of Collins enthusiasm and Durens production gives Detroit another subplot worth following before opening night arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons May Have Found The Offensive Pairing Cade Needed
Kevin Huerter gave the Pistons another look at what life beside Cade Cunningham might look like in the preseason, and it came through in the small things. In 17 minutes, Huerter had four assists, several of them finding Jalen Duren in pick-and-roll action, the kind of easy offense Detroit has been searching for as it tries to build out more reliable scoring around its lead guard.
Duren, meanwhile, turned that chemistry into production, putting up 24 points in a half on just nine shots and doing it efficiently. For a team still exploring secondary options beyond Cunningham, the early connection between Huerter and Duren is at least a promising sign, even if the real test will come once the games start counting for something. [Read more 🡒]