Takeaways from the Detroit Pistons Finale versus the Milwaukee Bucks

The Detroit Pistons fall to the Milwaukee Bucks four games to zero. The LCA Crowd was left chanting “MVP. MVP. MVP.” as Blake Griffin walked off the court.

No, not that MVP. Not Giannis Antetokounmpo, the likely MVP of the National Basketball Association. The chants were for Blake Griffin during a standing ovation, far and away the most valuable player of the Detroit Pistons.

No current player embodies the city of Detroit like Griffin does. Not just counting the Pistons, but all four of the professional sports teams, sitting kitty corner from each other downtown. After only a season and a half, Griffin carried his team on his back to what was the Pistons’ second playoff appearance of the decade, and the first playoff series ever held at Little Caesars Arena.

But it wasn’t enough.

The Pistons lost to the Bucks by the score of 127-104, ending the Pistons season with another crushing defeat.

The Pistons started the game scorching hot on the offensive end, and their defensive was clicking. A Griffin dunk gave the Pistons a 20-8 lead, and caught the attention of not only every fan in LCA, but every national sports media outlet. Ersan Ilyasova ducked under Griffin during the jam, and Blake shot up to get back on defense, but now with an obvious limp.

The crowd was in disbelief. “Refs you suck” could be heard clearly for the first time, whether you were in the top row of the arena or watching one of the television broadcasts at home.

Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be the last time that fans had to use that chant.

41 – 12

The Milwaukee Bucks outmatched the Pistons at every position. Everything the Bucks do well, the Pistons struggle to contain. The Bucks are huge, the Pistons are undersized. There are so many reasons why the Bucks swept the Pistons, and why they did it by such a wide margin.

But they don’t need help. Especially not to the tune of 41 free throw attempts, compared to the Pistons 12.

Some of that is on the Pistons, as Griffin pointed out in his post game press conference. And-One opportunities crushed the Pistons early on, as they tried to extend their lead and keep it going into the second half.

But you are not going to win a basketball game, when Giannis shot eight more free throws than the entire Pistons roster.

Countless times, LCA let the refs hear it. It left an incredibly bad taste in the mouths of the fans. A magnificent first half, four solid minutes in the third quarter, and it all led to a 23 point loss. A blowout loss, coming after a lead through 30 minutes of gameplay.

A lot of that was thanks to Reggie Jackson.

Big Time Performers

Reggie Jackson played a fantastic game, scoring 27 points to pair with his seven assists. 20 of those points were scored in the first half, with the last of those coming on a put-back dunk that showcased the explosiveness of the Jackson of old.

Blake Griffin put together a performance that not only kept the Pistons alive through 3 1/2 quarters, but also caught the attention of sports fans and media members around the world.

Andre Drummond put together a really solid first half as well, perhaps best displayed when he jumped a lane for an easy steal and score, and followed it by taking a charge, giving the Pistons two stops in a row. At times he still struggled to dominate the boards like he usually does, but despite his problems with his matchup, he certainly answered the call from fans to play more “within himself”.

Langston Galloway played a solid first half, but put on his best disappearing act through the end of the game, despite playing 32 minutes. Matching Galloway’s minutes was Luke Kennard, whom the Pistons desperately need to figure out how to get going alongside Griffin this off-season.

Where can the Pistons go from here?

Drummond just wrapped up what was the best season of his career. Jackson had a bounce back season, after finally getting healthy. He played 82 games this year. Griffin revolutionized his game, and earned the respect of basketball fans around the world while playing his heart out on one knee as the Pistons returned to Detroit for a quick playoff exit.

The “Big Three” provided what might have been the best possible outcome, all things considered. Yet, the team was 41-41, and got eliminated from the playoffs in brutal fashion.

What is this team’s ceiling? How could it go up from here?

Without looking too much into potential off-season shakeup, change is needed. Most desperately at the wing position, where opponents form a conga line to the rim, with Giannis leading the party (shout out Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press for the lingo). They desperately need a new backup center, backup point guard, and as much shot creation as they can get their hands on.

Whether you think the Pistons should’ve tanked, or you agree with their current “win now-without sacrificing the future” philosophy, it is clear that Blake Griffin deserves to have team around him that will put up a fight. And that’s what they need to ensure looking forward.

For Detroit sports fans, it may be tough to feel any hope. The Pistons just set an NBA record, as the team with the most consecutive playoff losses in NBA history. The Tigers and Redwings are in the midst of a rebuild, that if done correctly could lead them to success, but that won’t come to fruition for at least a couple of years.

But hey, at least we’re not the Phoenix Suns.