The Detroit Pistons would love to be a consistent winner who was regularly in the playoffs and building towards championship contention.
The Memphis Grizzlies are also a young team but they are a few seasons ahead of the Pistons but right where they want to be.
The Grizzlies have built a winning team in a small market without making any big splashes in free agency, which is pretty much what the Detroit Pistons hope to do in the Motor City.
If the Pistons want to evolve into a consistent winner, then they should study the Memphis Grizzlies, who have shown them the path.
Detroit Pistons: Build through the draft
If you look at the Memphis Grizzlies roster, nearly all of their players are guys they drafted. This not only speaks to their strategy but their ability to find talent in the draft.
Yes, they got lucky to get a potential superstar in Ja Morant, but they have also hit on Jaren Jackson Jr., Dillon Brooks, Brandon Clarke and Desmond Bane.
Morant and Jackson Jr. are really the only ones in that group with star potential, but the Grizzlies found complementary players who make an impact.
The Detroit Pistons are hoping to do the same thing this draft, as they will have a chance to add a potential star to a very talented group in Killian Hayes, Isiah Stewart and Saddiq Bey.
They are just missing the transcendent star, so if the Pistons can find their Ja Morant in this draft, they will be well on their way to building a team mostly through draft picks, which is what you have to do if you are not a big free-agent attraction.
Detroit Pistons: Use cap space creatively
The Memphis Grizzlies have shown that you can use cap space in ways other than just signing free agents.
One way to do so is by picking up assets by taking on bad contracts, which the Grizzlies have done successfully several times.
The Grizzlies netted a first-round pick by taking Andre Iguodala in a trade from the Warriors and were then able to flip him for Justise Winslow.
So, just by taking on Iggy’s contract, the Grizzlies got a first-round pick and a nice young player on a reasonable contract. This is how you use cap space effectively.
The Detroit Pistons can try to execute similar moves starting next season when they will have some cap space after the Blake Griffin contract is finished, but they can also sign value free agents and try to flip them.
They already have two guys in Josh Jackson and Mason Plumlee who look like value signings from last offseason and might be able to be traded for future assets.
Cap space isn’t about free agents for the Detroit Pistons, it’s about maximizing value and finding guys to flip for young players or future picks.
Detroit Pistons: Build around defense first
The Memphis Grizzlies have the 7th ranked defense in the NBA this season and that is not an accident.
The Grizzlies have built their roster around defenders like Dillon Brooks and Brandon Clarke and once they got their scorer in Morant, they just kept adding defenders.
The Grizzlies drafted Xavier Tillman Sr. who looks like he’ll be a nice defensive player for a long time, so the Grizzlies are set up to be very good defensively.
This is key, as all of the top teams in the NBA are also tops in defense. The Pistons were a top-ten defense in points allowed this season, so they are already well on their way to following this model.
They have built around defenders like Jerami Grant, Isaiah Stewart, Saddiq Bey and Josh Jackson, now they just need to add their impact scorer.
If the Pistons can do that, they are well on their way to getting back into the playoff discussion and staying there, just like Memphis.