The Detroit Pistons had a great first half as long as you had the right expectations coming into the season.
They are headed for a top pick, but losing competitive games while their rookies and young players get plenty of reps, which is about all you can ask for in the first year of a rebuild.
The Detroit Pistons finally have some talent to build around on the wing with Jerami Grant and Saddiq Bey and are getting better than expected contributions from Isaiah Stewart and Saben Lee as well.
The young core is starting to round into shape, but there are a few guys whose place in it is far from certain at this point.
Here are three guys who need to show the Detroit Pistons more in the second half of this season if they want to cement themselves as part of the long-term plans of the franchise.
Detroit Pistons: Josh Jackson is not there yet
Josh Jackson has been a pleasant surprise by just about any measure. The Detroit Pistons took a flyer on the former #4 pick in the draft and it has paid off, as he has evolved into the most important player off their bench.
Josh Jackson has exceeded the low bar that was set for him at the beginning of the season but now it is time to raise the bar.
Jackson has been a great defense/energy guy and has the size to be a plus defender in the NBA, which is what the Pistons are trying to build around.
But Jackson has been abysmal shooting the ball, hitting just 29 percent of his 3-point shots. He has also been a turnover machine, averaging 2.3 turnovers to just 1.9 assists, which is, ummm, “not good.”
Jackson has been a nice story on a team going nowhere but has yet to prove he can do it for a team that has aspirations other than a top draft pick.
He needs to show he can make plays, take better care of the ball and improve his shot selection. He is still signed for next season so will get plenty of chances but it would be nice if he cleaned up some aspects of his game so that the Pistons know if he is trade bait heading into the offseason or a guy they want to re-sign long term.
Detroit Pistons: Svi Mykhailiuk is playing for a future contract
One of the guys the Detroit Pistons still don’t have a read on is Svi Mykhailiuk, who went from a player the Pistons were very high on to one they might let walk as a restricted free agent.
Mykhailiuk’s numbers are down across the board, but what is most concerning is his shooting, which went from borderline elite to borderline out of the league.
He is shooting just 33.5 percent from long-range after shooting over 40 percent on more attempts just last season.
He has shot the ball better of late and the Detroit Pistons obviously want to give him every chance, as he has been inserted into the starting lineup and has played big minutes over the last few games.
He has the rest of this season to show that he can be that high-volume 3-point shooter that they need moving forward, as Detroit is terrible in that department and doesn’t look to have much help on the way outside of Saddiq Bey.
Svi Mykhailiuk has as much to gain or lose as any Piston, as he is a restricted free agent at the end of the season and will be looking for a new contract from Detroit or someone else.
His story will be one to watch closely as the season unfolds.
Detroit Pistons: Sekou Doumbouya needs to make some strides
I am not one of the insane fans who think the Detroit Pistons should give up on 20-year-old Sekou Doumbouya.
The kid came into the league as a very raw talent and was the 15th pick in a weak draft, so it’s not like the Pistons expected him to come in and be lights out right away.
There is still plenty of time for him to evolve into a star, and there is recent evidence in the form of Pascal Siakam that it can happen.
I don’t need Sekou to be a star this season or even next but what would be nice is to see some form of progression.
Doumbouya appears to have regressed from last season, when he had Pistons’ fans buzzing after some big games and flashes of what he can be.
This season? Quite frankly, he looks out of shape, lost on defense most of the time and doesn’t do much on offense but stand in the corner.
I wasn’t expecting him to turn into an All-Star in one offseason, especially since the last one was so weird, but some signs of development would be nice.
Doumbouya should get plenty of run now that they have bought out Blake Griffin and he needs to use it to improve his shot selection, offensive game and positioning on defense.
If he can show some signs of life, I for one will be happy, but if not there are going to be a lot of questions about his future with the team.