Basketball Insiders like Detroit Pistons moving forward
The Detroit Pistons made big strides in 2016, but how do they project moving forward? Basketball Insiders took a look at the Pistons were able to accomplish this season and what might they might look like in the future.
I really like the direction the Pistons are headed. There will inevitably be some hard decisions in the future–like what to do with Marcus Morris, Stanley Johnson, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope should–should one or more of the players play their way into a contract the team simply can’t afford.
But for now, the Pistons core group of players are locked up, and that sets the team up well for at least one more season (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will be a restricted free agent after 2016-2017 season).
With all of that in mind, Basketball Insiders really like the Pistons moving forward.
"Although they were swept in four games by the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, the Pistons didn’t roll over against LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and the rest of the Cavs. Outside of Game 2 in Cleveland, the Pistons were within striking distance in every game in the series.Considering that the Pistons were playing against a Cavaliers team that is projected by many to advance to the NBA Finals for a second straight season, their fight throughout the first round of the playoffs was encouraging. They were practically written off before the series even began, given virtually no chance of upsetting the Cavaliers.The Pistons rarely receive love for their core of players. Many teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves, Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic and Utah Jazz (among others) are often mentioned well ahead of the Pistons when talking about up-and-coming teams.They proved this season that they should be taken seriously in the coming years. Andre Drummond, Reggie Jackson, Tobias Harris, Caldwell-Pope, Johnson and Marcus Morris make up a team that will be able to compete for a long time.The Pistons are tied for 10th in the NBA for the youngest average team age at 26 years old. Perhaps the most encouraging sign for Detroit moving forward is that they have nearly every member of that promising core locked up for the foreseeable future."
As previously stated, the Pistons are set with their core group of players. The only player that doesn’t have a contract in place after next season is Caldwell-Pope, but that could change if the Pistons choose to resign him this offseason.
What’s more likely is the Pistons wait–similar to what they did with Drummond last offseason–to use the extra cap space to sign more talent. Of course, that is something that they will discuss with Caldwell-Pope and likely ask him for his blessing on the matter.
If the Pistons can stay healthy and add a few pieces to their bench, the Pistons have a legitimate chance to be contenders down the road.