3 questions the Detroit Pistons must answer before making a trade
1. Which direction should Detroit go in?
Pistons owner Tom Gores wants his franchise to compete but that may not be the best course of action in the immediate future. Less is more and losing for a season or two could reset the franchise for the future.
Brown was a hidden gem in the second round, Kennard is developing nicely and 2019 first-round pick Sekou Doumbouya is showing plenty of promise in the G League.
analysis. Pistons 4 top prospects with the Grand Rapids Drive. light
Detroit has been to the playoffs in two of the last four seasons but hasn’t won a playoff game since 2008. Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond should be the leaders of the pack but an untimely torn meniscus limited Griffin’s production down the stretch and in the playoffs despite a valiant effort.
When healthy, Griffin is a significant player for an organization to compete with as he showed last season earning All-NBA honors. But this season hasn’t been the same as he isn’t assertive inside and is settling for flat 3-point attempts. He’s shooting 37.3% for the season.
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Stefanski and Casey can’t get a fair evaluation on Griffin and Drummond in their second season and a one-season sample size isn’t fair, either. But with Drummond likely the top free agent on the market, the trade market is going to be active this season for upgrades.
Of course how the road trip goes could be a quick determination but then there’s a potentially fruitful period afterwards. Detroit could go either way considering the veterans and young pieces they have, especially with guys like Langston Galloway and Derrick Rose raising their stock.