The Detroit Pistons are exactly where they want to be at the midpoint of the season.
They are tanking but doing it with purpose, losing competitive games while getting their young players plenty of reps, which were two of the goals of the season.
However, they are only at the halfway point, so a lot of things can change before the 2021 campaign is finished and can be declared a success.
There are four major stories that will dominate the second half, not including the fate of the Pistons’ veterans who could be moved at the deadline.
Here are the narratives to watch as the 2nd half of the season unfolds.
Detroit Pistons: Can the Pistons stay in the bottom-3 of the NBA?
One of the Pistons’ goals for this season was to finish in the bottom-3 so that they have maximum odds a top pick.
At the midway point, the Pistons are right where they need to be, but things could change. The Pistons have one of the easiest schedules in the NBA in the 2nd half, so even though they have only won 10 games so far, they could be at risk of falling out of the bottom three if they are not careful.
The Detroit Pistons are not going to lose games on purpose, but they may need some “creative” roster management down the stretch to ensure that they don’t win too many games. This team plays too hard to tank like the Timberwolves, so Troy Weaver may need to get involved.
This could mean trading several of their veteran contributors and maybe sitting Jerami Grant on back-to-backs and other nights when the Pistons need a loss.
Look, no one likes losing, but if you are going to lose, don’t spoil it by winning a bunch of meaningless games that will just hurt the possible draft position.