The Detroit Pistons have yet to enjoy a win streak this season and have the worst record in the NBA. Yet, things are headed in the right direction.
The Pistons have won exactly one game in a row but you’d think they were on their way to the Finals the way fans are reacting.
Why? Well, beating Philly is always nice.
But the real reason is that Pistons’ fans see their franchise moving in the right direction for the first time in a long time.
The Pistons are losing, yes, but they are doing it with purpose and getting their young guys plenty of reps in the process.
This is all most of us have wanted for the last decade, so seeing the Detroit Pistons finally rebuild the right way has fans excited about the future.
The Detroit Pistons may end up with the worst record in the league (I don’t think so) but they are trending upward. Here’s why.
Detroit Pistons: Dwane Casey and Troy Weaver
The Culture
I am so sick of hearing the word “culture” as it relates to NBA teams but here we are.
Culture is the most overused word in NBA circles, a subjective word that means different things to different people.
No matter what it means to you, the Pistons are building it.
Losses are losses, but the Pistons have been in nearly every game. They have lost 5 games by 10 points and one by 15 (against the Bucks) so haven’t been blown out yet.
They never roll over, play with energy and make the other team earn it. You have to give Dwane Casey some credit for keeping this team focused even though they aren’t winning.
He’s done a good job of mixing in the veterans and young players without “tanking,” so that the young guys are learning to play the right way.
Troy Weaver also deserves a lot of credit for going out and getting guys who fit this mold. The Pistons don’t have the most talented group of veteran role players ever assembled, but they are all smart players who play hard and don’t take anything off the table.
It was smart to bring in veterans who had to compete for minutes, so the young players can learn that nothing is given in the NBA.
The Pistons are assembling a smart, tough roster that is long, athletic and fits the mold of today’s NBA.
Whatever culture means, it is changing in Detroit.
Detroit Pistons: Jerami Grant, Josh Jackson, Delon Wright….
The Reclamation Projects
Just about every Pistons’ veteran fits the category of “young veteran who needed a better situation to thrive.”
Obviously, Jerami Grant is at the top of this list. Since coming to the Pistons he has transformed from role player to star and it looks as though the Pistons have a quality piece to build around.
Every team in the NBA is looking for wings who can score and defend and the Pistons have one of them.
But Grant isn’t the only veteran who has paid dividends.
Weaver grabbed Josh Jackson off the scrap heap and it appears the Pistons might have another piece.
Same with Delon Wright, who at the very least looks like a low-cost, competent backup point guard.
You can say the same of Wayne Ellington, though he is 33-years -old. He’s one of the top 3-point shooters in the NBA this season and might be an asset in a trade.
Mason Plumlee has played well and been a good mentor to the young guys.
Weaver found some guys who fit the timeline, payroll and mold of what the Pistons want from veteran players.
Detroit Pistons: What are the Pistons’ lottery odds?
The 2021 NBA Draft
The Detroit Pistons have had the worst luck of any team in the NBA when it comes to the lottery.
They have never moved up and usually end up dropping three spots, which happened once again in 2020.
The Pistons would be foolish to count on the lottery to save them, but it finally looks like they will have a top pick in a draft with some legit talent.
There are a couple of consensus superstars at the top of the 2021 draft, and the top-ten is absolutely loaded compared to last year.
Could this be the year when the Pistons finally have a top pick in a draft with some superstar-quality talent?
I wouldn’t count on it, but currently, the Pistons have a 52.1percent chance at a top-4 pick and a 14 percent chance at the number one overall.
If the Detroit Pistons can just stay in the top-5 they are almost guaranteed to get impact talent in the 2021 Draft. It is still a crapshoot but the Pistons’ odds of getting a star are better than they have been in a long time.
Hopefully, the Pistons will have multiple chances to get impact talent, as they are about to trade Derrick Rose and will be seeking a first-round pick.
The Detroit Pistons are still a bad team but they are finally the right kind of bad. They are building around the right kinds of players, giving effort and developing their young talent.
This is about all you can hope for a team in the first year of its rebuild.