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Ranking the East: Where do the Detroit Pistons stand?

By Justin Brouckaert

Apr 22, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (0) and teammates before game three of the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 22, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (0) and teammates before game three of the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 24, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (0) walks to the bench during the second quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Cavs win 100-98. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 24, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (0) walks to the bench during the second quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Cavs win 100-98. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /

3) Toronto Raptors

Perhaps the optimistic ones among us are hoping Detroit can rise as high as No. 3 in 2016-17, but I just don’t see it. And my irrational love for DeMar DeRozen’s mid-range game isn’t the only thing stopping me (though it does play a role). Lest we forget, the Raptors are still really good. Good enough to beat the Warriors? Definitely not. Good enough to make the Finals? Probably not. Good enough to fizzle out in the Eastern Conference Finals for a second straight year? Probably!

They did lose Bismack Biyombo, who came on strong in the playoffs when Jonas Valanciunas was injured. Still, Valanciunas can do a bit more, and he was downright dominant when Toronto’s guards needed him to carry the team against Indiana in the first round. DeMarre Carroll will (hopefully) be healthy this year, and lots of smart people are high on Norman Powell. This team whupped the Pistons in 2015-16, and something tells me it’s not going to be so easy for Detroit to leapfrog them in the standings in 2016-17, either.

4) Detroit Pistons

Now the pessimists are up in arms. From the No. 8 seed to the No. 4 seed in one year? After only adding Ish Smith, Jon Leuer and a couple of kids? This is, in my mind, the best case realistic scenario for Detroit next season. The Hawks might land here, but I think they take a major hit swapping Jeff Teague and Al Horford for Dennis Schroder and a rapidly aging Dwight Howard. Charlotte will be good, but they don’t have Detroit’s talent. The Pacers could steal this spot, and it wouldn’t surprise me, though I have some doubts about their starting backcourt.

But if the hack-a-Shaq rule is eliminated or significantly altered, if Reggie Jackson makes fewer mistakes in his second year as a starting NBA point guard, if Kentavious Caldwell-Pope shoots better and progresses as a defender, if Stanley Johnson is less of a train wreck on offense and even stronger on defense, if Ish Smith proves to be a sizable upgrade over Blake, if any combination of Leuer/Ellenson/Bullock/Gbinije provides competent minutes off the bench, if the team is as good with Tobias Harris in 2016-17 as they were in a small sample size last season…then why not?

Next: Nos. 5-6

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