It’s been 20 years since the Detroit Pistons won their third NBA championship. Unfortunately, recent years have been dismal to say the least.
In the last five seasons, the Pistons had the worst record in the NBA. Detroit’s 94 victories in that span are almost 50 wins less compared to the San Antonio Spurs. Dwayne Casey and Monty Williams could not get the Pistons out of the rut, with Williams being dismissed after just one season.
As such, the city of Detroit has had a tough time watching the product on the court. The NFL’s Detroit Tigers made it to the NFC Championship game, while the MLB’s Detroit Tigers and the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings had a chance at making their respective postseasons. Meanwhile, the Pistons couldn’t even sniff the postseason.
However, things are starting to change within the organization
Aside from firing Williams, Detroit hired JB Bickerstaff and Trajan Langdon to be their head coach and President of Basketball Operations, respectively. Langdon’s drafting history has been a mix of good and bad; he may have gotten Zion Williamson, Herb Jones, and Trey Murphy III, but his picks of Jaxson Hayes, Dyson Daniels, Kira Lewis Jr., and Nickeil Alexander-Walker didn’t really move the needle for the New Orleans Pelicans.
In the 2024 NBA Draft, which was Langdon’s first with the Pistons, Detroit selected Ron Holland II with the fifth overall pick and acquired Bobi Klintman (37th overall pick) from the Minnesota Timberwolves for Cam Spencer, who they selected at 53. Holland II could be an intriguing option alongside Cade Cunnigham and Jaden Ivey thanks to his ability to get to the rim no matter what the defense does.
To their credit, Detroit has been able to draft well, as they’ve selected Cunningham, Ivey, Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson, Isaiah Stewart, and Marcus Sasser. Perhaps the only notable miss among their choices was KOC favorite Killian Hayes, but the selections of Cunningham and Ivey have certainly erased that from the minds of Pistons’ fans.
Of course, surrounding said talent is another matter altogether. Thankfully, that’s something Langdon has been good at.
With the Pelicans, Langdon has been able to acquire and retain some talent, while also dealing them at the right time. Jonas Valanciunas, Brandon Ingram, Jose Alvarado, and CJ McCollum come to mind, and we’re already starting to see some of that with Detroit’s latest signings.
Tobias Harris (two years, $52 million) adds scoring and forward depth along with Paul Reed (claimed off waivers), while Malik Beasley (one year, $6 million) provides shooting to space the floor and give Cunningham more options. Speaking of Cunningham, the Pistons re-signed him to a five-year, $224-million deal that could go up to as much as $269 million with incentives. It was critical to keep Cunningham, who averaged career-highs in points per game (22.7) and assists per game (7.5).
Cunningham is Detroit’s franchise player and it was critical to get his buy-in for the Pistons’ vision. Thankfully, Bickerstaff is the right coach to execute that.
Bickerstaff’s time with the Cleveland Cavaliers was perhaps the team’s best since LeBron James left, although it was unfortunate that a second-round postseason exit wasn’t enough for him to keep his job. Nonetheless, Donovan Mitchell’s best years were under Bickerstaff, while Darius Garland developed into a solid guard under his system. Moreover, he was able to utilize a double big man lineup of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, a combination that was pretty effective in the small-ball era of the NBA. The second-generation NBA head coach has got a proven track record in dealing with star power and coming into teams in tough situations so it’s more likely than not he can help turn Detroit’s fortunes around.
As it stands, the Pistons’ roster is teeming with talent, thanks to both the new and old regimes that ran the team. It certainly will create log jams and there will be rumblings about the lack of opportunities and playing time. There is a chance that some players will get moved around for players or future assets. A preseason trade is definitely in the cards, but a trade deadline deal is more likely given less uncertainty.
The Detroit Pistons have been wheeling and dealing, but is it enough to get them out of the rut they’re stuck in? They have a general manager capable of making deals and a head coach capable of leading a young squad to greater heights. The pieces are definitely there, but only time will tell whether those pieces will work or not.
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