There was no quit in this team
Now that Detroit has traded Drummond away, the direction of the organization has become clear. It’s time to rebuild. In doing that, it can create a negative impact on a team’s players, knowing that they’re destined to lose.
The Pistons find themselves in a good spot though. Because a majority of their current players are on the younger side, all this does is open up more playing time for them. While admittedly, most of them have seen increased roles due to the injuries Detroit has suffered, all this does is solidify more minutes.
Coming into tonight’s game the Pistons only had nine players active. Every single one of them got to see some time on the floor.
No one really anticipated that this starting lineup – much less the entire rotation would be able to keep up with Oklahoma City tonight.
Any time the Thunder found themselves pulling ahead, Detroit was always right there to climb back into the game. No matter how many daggers Chris Paul tried to hit, the Pistons always found a way back into the game.
They managed to get the game within 5 points with under two minutes to play in the game.
That resilience goes a long way. It shows that the players Detroit has are willing to face any adversity that comes their way regardless of the expectations. It helps create a culture. It helps create a future.