With the World Cup over two weeks ago, DNA of Sports is starting its traditional presentation, franchise by franchise, of the upcoming NBA season. Like every year, this takes the form of a countdown, from the teams expected at the bottom of the ranking to our favorite for the champion title.
Today, it’s the Pistons’ turn to be put under the microscope. It has now been three seasons since Detroit has not exceeded 20 victories in the regular season, with a last exercise of 17 successes which earned it the NBA dunce cap. And even if the club did not recover the jackpot during the Draft (5th choice), the Pistons’ “process” nevertheless took a new step this summer with the withdrawal of Dwane Casey and the arrival of Monty Williams , recruited at a high price after his rich experience in Phoenix in four years, marked by an NBA final in 2021.
The new strong man of the Michigan franchise will thus have all the keys to getting the most out of a young workforce that inevitably has a lot of room for improvement.
The idea will be to make it a “Thunder of the East” by taking inspiration from the progression of the Oklahoma franchise to climb the hierarchy. Why not with a Cade Cunningham in the role of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the one who will lead the way, raise the level of his teammates and help his team win a few more games. It will still be a big challenge and a lot of pressure for the leader, who is returning from a long injury.
Alongside him, there will be lieutenant roles to take, between fullback Jaden Ivey, winger Bojan Bogdanovic and the interior quartet Stewart – Bagley III – Wiseman – Duren, from whom we can hope for a good surprise. There will also certainly be some very good stuff to pick from shooting winger Joe Harris and veteran point guard Monte Morris, recruited this summer. We also expect a lot from rookie Ausar Thompson, 5th choice in the last Draft, who will bring his energy and activity to both sides of the floor. We finally think of Killian Hayes, who will also have a (last?) card to play in the back positions in an organization chart which remains to be defined when he comes off the bench.
Hoping that injuries spare Cade Cunningham, it is now up to Monty Williams to make the mayonnaise and support this group in its progression, as he managed to do in Arizona. His first exercise at the head of the Pistons, who bet very heavily on him, will also be expected.
SUMMER MOVEMENTS
Arrivals: Ausar Thompson, Marcus Sasser, Malcolm Cazalon (two-way), Joe Harris, Monte Morris
Departures: Cory Joseph, RJ Hampton
PLAYER TO FOLLOW: CADE CUNNINGHAM
Victim of a stress fracture in his tibia after 12 games and less than a month of competition, Cade Cunningham was unable to confirm his promising debut in the NBA. His injury took with it all the hopes of the Pistons who wandered until April, waiting for a comeback that never happened. The Cunningham train must now resume its route in order to take its people to more interesting altitudes.
The wait will be enormous but the qualities are there, the leader profile on which a franchise can rely to build a team too. It will be about making the right choices, respecting the right balances, and being clutch when necessary. Like Shai Gilgeous-Alexandre in Oklahoma City, Cade Cunningham must embody the face of the franchise while allowing others to become better. What he began to show during the second part of the season of his rookie campaign.
This summer, he visibly impressed everyone when he played “sparring partners” with Team USA in Las Vegas, in a “Luka Doncic” role that could be his in Detroit. Provided, however, that he shows progress in terms of outside shooting, his effectiveness in this area not being crazy since his arrival in the NBA.
Average age: 24.9 years
Payroll: $135.7 million (30th)
THE IDEAL SCENARIO
The Pistons are off to a flying start, led by a Cade Cunningham in great shape and vengeful after spending 11 months away from the field. Monty Williams quickly manages to create good chemistry and a collective is created around the young leader, with alternation between the young interiors who manage to shine and the skill of veteran shooters Joe Harris and Bojan Bogdanovic. The icing on the cake, Ausar Thompson quickly took on big responsibilities, thus contributing to the team’s much better performance.
As the Magic were last season, the Pistons then become the “scratchy” team, the one we don’t like to face, who defy the predictions. The health of the executives is holding up, and the epic continues until the spring, fighting to grab a place in the play-in. Whether they succeed or not, if Monty Williams’ troops manage to maintain this suspense until the end of the season, it will be a real success.
THE WORST SCENARIO
Cade Cunningham is obviously rusty after being on the sidelines for so long and finds himself struggling physically. A complicated return which also slows down Jaden Ivey, who becomes as messy as during his first part of the rookie season, and Monty Williams’ collective cannot get into place.
Veterans Bojan Bogdanovic, Joe Harris and Monte Morris cannot stabilize the whole, in a group lacking balance, the Cunningham – Ivey duo monopolizing the ball and offensive intentions.
To make matters worse, Monty Williams encounters the same problem as with Deandre Ayton and is unable to maximize the potential of Detroit’s interior sector, although well supplied but with four players who step on each other’s toes and who show their frustration more. than their potential. And as the exterior address is still not there, it’s still a mess for the Pistons…
| WESTERN CONFERENCE | ||||
| 15 – Blazers | 14 – Spurs | 13 – … | 12 – … | 11 – … |
| 10 – … | 9 – … | 8 – … | 7 – … | 6 – … |
| 5 – … | 4 – … | 3 – … | 2 – … | 1 – … |
| EAST CONFERENCE | ||||
| 15 – Hornets | 14 – Pistons | 13 – … | 12 – … | 11 – … |
| 10 – … | 9 – … | 8 – … | 7 – … | 6 – … |
| 5 – … | 4 – … | 3 – … | 2 – … | 1 – … |
