Should Detroit Pistons fan feel comfortable with the idea of losing?

With the season heading in a direction that no one saw coming, when should Detroit Pistons fans accept what this team is?

It’s a rather arbitrary thing to even profess but if the Detroit Pistons are going to continue to lose games, at some point should the fans become content with that? With a franchise that for the last decade has had trouble looking ahead to the future and instead focusing all their time on the present, being forced into a rebuild may not be such a bad thing.

After all, it’s overdue. As it stands, the Pistons are currently sitting on a 12-22 record and have lost eight of their last ten games. With the Lakers and Clippers on the horizon within the next three games, in all likelihood that record is going to continue to drop.

With the way this season has gone Detroit has played a majority of these last few months with a heavily depleted roster. Injuries continue to pile up which has played a major role in the woes. The silver lining to this – if one can be found – is that it’s forced some of the Pistons younger players into elevated roles. Svi Mykhaililuk is a prime example, someone who was expected to see some time off of the bench, but was not expected to play 24 minutes per game like he has in his last six outings.

Bruce Brown has been bouncing back in forth between shooting guard and his new role as one of Detroit’s point guards. Doing this has opened up an interesting wrinkle in his versatility and play making ability. His defense is ever improving and even his three-point shot is slowly starting to fall with more consistency.

Prior to his injury even Luke Kennard was beginning to look noticeably more confident with the ball in his hands, and one can assume he’s been given the green light to shoot whenever he feels comfortable. His development is more or less on par with fan expectations, but the others may be slightly quicker than anticipated.

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So at some point, evaluating the current field of talent in the league versus what product is currently in Detroit – is it really the worst thing in the world if this team is forced to take a direction that they aren’t comfortable taking? No, it isn’t. Although this upcoming draft class currently feels slightly underwhelming, it’s undoubtedly front loaded with some interesting prospects at the point guard position – something that Detroit would likely utilize with their first round pick.

It’s never going to necessarily be fun watching a team begin to tank, but when it’s inadvertently happening to begin with due to a lack of ability to compete – what’s the difference? If nothing else fans can find solace in the fact that they have a chance to secure a top draft pick. The current front office in Detroit has done a commendable job with their drafting in their short tenure.

At the end of the day regardless of how many injuries are currently effecting the Pistons, it feels as if the decision should be clear to mail it in this season and at the very least – try to re-tool for next season. Blake Griffin‘s window is beginning to close so that doesn’t leave much time to keep messing around.

Detroit needs a fresh start and whether or not they accept it willingly, it may arrive all the same.