The Targets
The next three teams should have a big target on them if you are Detroit. The Pistons will need to overtake at least one of them if they want to be in the top half of the conference. Also, these teams are consistently competitive and not necessarily free agent destinations. Detroit should look to emulate their success both on the court and as an organization.
Indiana Pacers
The Pacers and Celtics battled for the four and five seeds last season and will likely be at it again. The Pacers have used player development and savvy trades to put themselves in the conversation in the Eastern Conference. Though the Pacers feature All-NBA talent in Victor Oladipo, the thing that should worry the Pistons most is newcomer Malcolm Brogdon. If Brown is up to the task of slowing down Oladipo, Detroit is left without a quality defender to put on the 6-foot-5 Brogdon. The fourth-year guard has gotten better every year and hopes to stay healthy enough to improve on his 15 points per game from last season. Brogdon could present a real problem for Detroit, as the Pistons still lack defense at the guard position.
Toronto Raptors
The defending champions lost their best player Kawhi Leonard, but still have a talented and deep roster. I’m tempted to say that Stanley Johnson is the thing Detroit should worry about most. Johnson was terrible with Detroit, so if he becomes good with Toronto it will be another failure of Detroit’s player development, which should be a big concern. But the real worry is breakout star Pascal Siakam, a 6-foot-9 rim-running power forward who is a real matchup problem for Detroit. The Pistons don’t want Griffin chasing him all over the place, so the job will likely fall on Morris or Snell. Like Jimmy Butler, Siakam is the type of long wing that has been the bane of Detroit’s existence for several seasons and the type of guy they must stop if they want to have a chance in the East.
Boston Celtics
The Celtics shook things up by jettisoning team cancer Kyrie Irving for Kemba Walker. Boston is hoping that a change in leadership will get them back to the top of the East. After the Celtic-laden U.S. FIBA team embarrassed themselves, Boston fans are getting nervous that all their asset hoarding over the years is not ever going to pay off. Walker has long been a Pistons’ killer, so stopping him should be their biggest worry. The Pistons should match up well in the frontcourt, especially if Jayson Tatum has to miss a significant part of the season. This means stopping Walker must be their primary concern.