Training camp is under a month away and the Detroit Pistons have plenty to prove. Here are the best- and worst-case scenarios for each player.
In March 2000 Rick Pitino famously said, “Larry Bird is not walking through that door, fans” to encourage Boston’s “Fellowship of the Miserable” to exorcise the ghosts of past success and support the team they saw on the floor.
With no cap space and few attractive trade assets, the Detroit Pistons’ “Fellowship of the Miserable” (shout out to #PistonsTwitter) also needs to accept that the team is going to rise and fall with the successes and failures of the players they currently have. In other words, “Isiah Thomas is not walking through that door.” For the Pistons to climb out of the muck of mediocrity they need every player on the roster to be the best version of himself.
But what does that look like? Here’s the best- and worst-case scenario for every player on the roster.
Deividas Sirvydis
Deividas Sirvydis is going to be stashed in Lithuania but the 6-foot-9, 19 year old has a nice shot and the kind of size the Pistons need on the wing. The best-case scenario is that he continues to build strength and is on the Pistons’ roster in a year or two.
The worst-case scenario is that he never plays for the Pistons, ends up on the Spurs somehow and makes five all-star teams.
Jordan Bone
Considering Jordan Bone was the 57th pick and is on a two-way contract, the best-case scenario is that he is so good in the G-league that Detroit is forced to put him in the NBA rotation. He becomes a competent third point guard and the Pistons are comfortable trading Reggie Jackson.
The worst-case scenario is that you never see or read his name again.
Christian Wood
Christian Wood is only 23. His per-36 numbers are impressive, but then again, so are Boban Marjanovíc’s. His clearest chance to get minutes is to play some back-up center, so best-case scenario is that he is a pleasant surprise and becomes a competent back-up.
The worst-case scenario is that his flashes are just that, flashes, and he never establishes himself as a member of the team.