Detroit Pistons stock exchange: Is it time to trade Blake Griffin?
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The Pistons chances of making the playoffs
Yes, it is still early. Yes, the Eastern Conference stinks and yes, the Pistons could be the 6 seed by the end of this week just by winning a few in a row, but it’s also not too early to say that Detroit is watching their chances of making the playoffs slip away. The Pistons have just a 22% chance of making the playoffs as of today and less than 1% chance of winning the Finals, according to FiveThirtyEight.
No one in their right mind would have picked the Pistons as an NBA champion, but with virtually no chance of winning the Finals, and a rapidly slim chance to even make the playoffs in the terrible Eastern Conference, it’s fair to question this roster, how it was constructed, and whether Detroit would be best served by just trading what they can, adding some assets and future picks and moving on.
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The Pistons are only 1.5 games out of the playoffs, so it’s not like they can’t turn it around, but they haven’t even played the Celtics or Bucks, nor any of the top teams in the West and have already lost games to the Hawks, Bulls, Wizards and Hornets – teams that they must dominate to be competitive.
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If the Pistons lose any of the upcoming games to the Bulls or Hornets, they will have put themselves into a big hole before even facing any of the best teams. If Detroit’s chances of making the playoffs rest on an extended winning streak on a west coast road trip in March, they are doomed.
It would be very disappointing if the Pistons didn’t make the playoffs, but it would be far more disappointing if they did so and ended up at the 9-11 seed, which is exactly where they are headed.
I am not pro-tanking under almost any circumstances but have also had enough of watching a team whose ceiling is the 8 seed, the no man’s land of being both irrelevant and not even getting rewarded with a high pick. The Pistons realistically have another month to right the ship, as they are unlikely to make any trades before Dec. 15, but it is time for this front office to show that they are not going to allow the Pistons to lose another decade to mediocrity.
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If the Pistons can’t turn it around, something must be done, and all options are on the table, including a complete teardown. The Pistons have a few days to stew about the horrible loss to the Hornets and practice before another winnable game against the Bulls, so it is time to see what this team is made of. If they continue to falter, even with Griffin and Rose, it is time to pull the plug and hit reset.