Making playoffs is Detroit Pistons goal, not seeding

The Detroit Pistons can only get as high as the sixth seed in the playoffs. Making the playoffs at all should be the goal, not playing for match-ups.

The Detroit Pistons rested Blake Griffin against the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers. A game the Pistons surely should’ve won without Griffin. The Cavs are not a very good team, and are currently fighting for the first pick in the draft.

It seemed like the perfect game to sit your star, give him some rest, and still get the win.

But, the win didn’t happen.

The Pistons lost to the Cavs, which is absolutely unacceptable. The loss has led to some theories from fans.

Do the Pistons want to secretly fall to seventh seed? Are they trying to avoid the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round? Are the Pistons trying to get matched up with Dwane Casey’s former team the Toronto Raptors in the first round?

Of course there are some match-ups the Pistons should and should not want to end up with in the first round. They swept the Raptors in the season, and the Indiana Pacers are without Victor Oladipo; which would make these two teams more favorable.

However, the 76ers dominate the match-up with Detroit, winning three out of the four match-ups, and the Milwaukee Bucks have been the best team in the league this year. It would not look good for the Detroit Pistons if they got matched up with either of those teams.

However, trying to choose your own seeding and dancing with your playoff fate should not be a thought within the organization.

The Detroit Pistons have not clinched a playoff spot yet, therefore they could fall out of the playoffs and be sitting at home watching games come April. For a franchise that has only made the playoffs one time since 2008 (2016), they are in no position to dance with their playoff seeding.

The Pistons are also not a good enough team to play around like that. They can’t purposely lose specific games, and then get up for the games they want to win and expect the results to be in their favor.

Sitting Griffin will be a topic of arguments till the end of the season.

Personally, I don’t sit anyone until the playoffs are clinched. If you play good basketball and win these games sooner rather than later, then Griffin and anyone else who needs a break can rest after they clinch a spot.

The Detroit Pistons need to be trying to win every game they have left, that should be their mentality.

For all the fans with the conspiracy theories, stop it.

The Pistons are not a good enough team to try and play with their food. Making the playoffs and giving yourselves a chance to have anything happen is the goal.

Mess around and you wont even have a match-up to play.