The Phoenix Suns are headed to the Western Conference Finals, which should give fans of the Detroit Pistons some hope.
In 2018-19 the Suns weren’t much different from this year’s Pistons. They won just 19 games and were dead last in the West, much like the 20-win Pistons this season.
Last year wasn’t a whole lot better for the Suns, though they did finish 34-39 after an unlikely undefeated run in the Orlando bubble.
This season the Suns won 51 games and are now one series away from the Finals, so how can the Detroit Pistons do the same?
Detroit Pistons: Find a star and be patient as he develops
If you want to find some “bad NBA takes” go back to 2019 and search for Devin Booker on Twitter.
At this point the young star was practically being written off for his lack of success, reduced to a soft scorer who couldn’t defend and would never be the best player on a contender.
How did those takes turn out?
The Suns resisted the urge to make drastic changes or to trade Booker prematurely, as they saw a potential superstar and had patience to let him develop into one.
The Detroit Pistons don’t have their superstar just yet, but they are hoping to find him in this year’s NBA Draft and already have a very good group of young players waiting in Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart and Killian Hayes.
Who knows, perhaps Hayes is that star, but either way, the Pistons need to find their guy and then stick with him as he gets better, just as the Suns did with Booker.
Ironically, the Pistons could have had Booker themselves, but that is a whole other article.
Detroit Pistons: The Suns found the right guys to put around Booker
The Phoenix Suns have done a very good job the last few years of finally finding the right mixture of talent around Devin Booker.
They drafted guys like Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges and added quality role players like Jae Crowder, Dario Saric and Cameron Payne.
The Suns have the right mixture of veterans and young players, which is what some Pistons’ fans need to understand when they talk about “timeline” with regards to guys like Jerami Grant.
Things can turn around quickly in the NBA, and you can’t give away talented players because there are a bit older than your young prospects.
Luckily, the Detroit Pistons are already ahead of the game in this regard, as they already have several players who would be excellent role players on good teams.
Guys like Saddiq Bey, Mason Plumlee and Jerami Grant are versatile players who would fit with just about any star and could contribute on any roster.
So the Pistons need to find their young star, add the right role players around them and then lurk and wait for their chance to make the final move.
Detroit Pistons: Making the timely trade
Obviously, the biggest reason for the Suns’ huge turnaround was the addition of Chris Paul.
The hall-of-fame point guard would make literally any team better, as he is one of the most gifted floor generals who has ever played the game.
After the Suns went 8-0 in the bubble, they realized that their window to win was now and that the right star addition could take them to the next level.
The Suns traded a bunch of role players and a first-round pick to the Thunder for Paul, which turned out to be the exact move they needed to make.
The Pistons have the assets and young players to make a splashy trade, but the key is timing.
You can’t make this move until you know your team is ready to win, as giving up assets for an aging veteran is the quickest way back to the lottery if things don’t work out. The Pistons know this first-hand, as their timely trade for Rasheed Wallace is what led to a title in 2004.
The point is that the Suns didn’t panic and make this move before they were ready, and they didn’t give up any of their key pieces to get him. Timing is everything and the Suns timed this trade perfectly.
Realistically, the Pistons are probably a season or two away from thinking about a move like this, but if the right veteran becomes available, Troy Weaver will pounce.
The Detroit Pistons are on the right path, and like the Phoenix Suns, could turn things around sooner than you think.