Detroit Pistons: The most disappointing Piston is not who you think it is

The Detroit Pistons have had some pleasant surprises this season.

Jerami Grant has blossomed into a star in an expanded role. The rookies have provided some huge minutes and highlights and veterans Mason Plumlee, Josh Jackson, Delon Wright and Wayne Ellington have all been better than expected.

The rookies all have room to improve of course, but the Detroit Pistons have to be happy with this season from a player development standpoint, except with the notable exception of the injured Killian Hayes.

But there have also been some pretty big disappointments.

Most fans thought Blake Griffin might play well enough to make himself into a trade asset, which didn’t happen, though there still might be one team out there that makes sense.

But if you came into this season expecting big things from Griffin as he tried to come back from an injury, then you probably haven’t been paying much attention, as he has been in serious decline since he took the Pistons to the playoffs in 2018, ultimately getting swept by the Bucks.

The biggest disappointment is not a household name but I personally expected him to be much better and even hoped he’d have a breakout season.

Detroit Pistons: Svi Mykhailiuk has been a big disappointment

I have been a big fan of Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk since the Pistons acquired him from the Los Angeles Lakers.

He has plus size for a shooting guard and shot over 40 percent from 3-point range last season, factors which could make him a player in this league.

I once even said his ceiling was a “poor man’s Klay Thompson,” which is starting to look like a take I’d like to have back.

Mykhailiuk has been wildly inconsistent this season and has been unable to establish himself as a regular part of the rotation, largely due to his poor shooting. Mykhailiuk is hitting just 32 percent of his long-range shots this season even though he has taken a lower volume than he did last season.

He’s only playing 16 minutes a game and has yet to show anything that would make the Detroit Pistons want to re-sign him in the offseason.

Mykhailiuk’s future with the team was one of the big question marks coming into the season and most of us hoped he would step up and seize a role as a 3-and-D wing that would be part of the core moving forward.

That has not happened.

Mykhailiuk still has time to turn this season around, but if he doesn’t start playing better he might find himself without a job in the offseason, as shooters who can’t shoot are not a hot commodity in the NBA these days.