Detroit Pistons: 1 goal for each Piston next season

Detroit Pistons: 1 goal for each guard

Cory Joseph: Be the consistent veteran

The Pistons got more out of Joseph last season than they probably expected, as he came in and averaged 12 points and 5.5 assists per game in the 19 appearances he had for Detroit.

Joseph just needs to show he can do it for a whole season, so his goal should be to be that consistent veteran presence off the bench who gives the team the same effort and contributions every night.

With such a young team, Dwane Casey needs a veteran off the bench who he can count on.

Frank Jackson: Prove last year was not a fluke

Frank Jackson shot over 40 percent from 3-point range last season and became the Pistons’ best bench scorer. But Jackson needs to prove that was not a fluke, as prior to last season he was a below-average shooter.

If he can continue to be that “instant offense” off the bench, he can be the Pistons’ Jason Terry and will look like one of the best value contracts in the league.

Saben Lee: Be a menace on defense

Saben Lee is a plus athlete who can penetrate and get to the rim. He doesn’t have a great long-range shot yet so the obvious goal would be for him to improve from the 3-point line.

But the Pistons aren’t counting on Lee for that, so if he really wants to get run next season he needs to be a menace on defense. Lee has the quickness and athleticism to be a pest as an on-the-ball defender, which he showed at times last season.

I would love to see him embrace this role, much like Lindsey Hunter did for Detroit. Hunter was an underrated player for the Pistons and provided outstanding defense that basically drove the other teams nuts. I want to see Lee do something similar.

Hamidou Diallo: Keep up the shooting

Diallo is another plus athlete with a shaky shot, but he did shoot 39 percent from long range last season in his short time in Detroit.

Diallo is a good defender who can run the floor, so the only thing lowering his ceiling is his shooting. If he can shoot close to that average for a whole season, his contract is going to look like a steal.

Killian Hayes: Be aggressive

Hayes has already shown that he is one of the Pistons best defenders, and he averaged more than five assists per game in his shortened rookie season.

But if Hayes is going to be effective, he has to show he can do something more than just pass, as teams are going to sag off him and force him to take jumpers to keep him out of the lane.

Hayes can’t be afraid to take shots, even if he misses them, as he has to be some kind of threat out there or there are going to be spacing issues with he and Cunningham on the floor at the same time.

Far too often last season Hayes looked to pass first and shoot last, which caused him to make some poor decisions with the ball and led to a lot of turnovers. When Hayes jumps in the air with the ball, he has to look to score, be aggressive and not constantly defer to other guys.

I expect he will struggle shooting the ball again, but he has to keep at it.

Cade Cunningham: Show this is your team

The Pistons are building around Cade Cunningham, as he is the only guy on the roster who has real superstar potential.

Cunningham not only needs to be the team leader when it comes to scoring and defense, but he has to be vocal on the court, and be the guy that his teammates follow.

He already showed some of this in Summer League, where Cunningham was leading the huddles, calling out switches and pumping up his teammates.

All rookies struggle at times and that is going to happen to Cunningham too, but he needs to embrace his role as the face and future of the Detroit Pistons next season and show that they made the right call when they took him number one.