The Detroit Pistons won 20 games last season, but there were some positives and several players reached individual goals.
Jerami Grant had a breakout season that put him in the running for the Most Improved award and proved that he can be more than just a role player.
Both Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart made the All-Rookie team, outplaying their draft position and solidifying themselves as part of the core moving forward.
The Jacksons, Frank and Josh, both contributed and showed that they can be valuable role players off the bench and Saben Lee got plenty of run even though he was a second-round pick.
But the Detroit Pistons would like to win more than 20 games and get on the path towards the playoffs, with moderate improvement expected on their timeline for contention.
For the team to take the next step, individual players need to step up and reach their personal goals. Here is one for each guy.
Detroit Pistons: The fringe of the rotation has some exciting talent
Chris Smith
Isaiah Livers
Both of these players are coming off injuries or probably would have been first-round picks in last year’s draft if they weren’t. Instead, Livers went in the second round and Smith went undrafted altogether, so it’s possible they will outplay their draft position at some point.
But first they have to prove they are healthy, so the goal for both of them is to get 100 percent healthy and prove they have overcome their injuries.
Luka Garza: Hit long-range shots
I think Luka Garza has a real chance to be the third center now that the Pistons have traded Jahlil Okafor.
If he does make the rotation, it will be because of his shooting, so Garza’s goal should be consistency from behind the 3-point line. If he can hit a high percentage of his 3-point shots, it will be hard for the Pistons to keep him off the floor, as they do not have a ton of long-range shooters.
Detroit Pistons: 1 goal for each forward
Trey Lyles: Hit close to 40 percent from 3-point range
Lyles is another guy who was brought in to help improve the Pistons’ woeful shooting and he should be an upgrade from Tyler Cook in that area.
Now that the Pistons have traded Sekou Doumbouya, Lyles has a clear spot on the depth chart at power forward.
Troy Weaver is hoping Lyles can be another Jerami Grant, a guy who can have a breakout season in an expanded role. If he can shoot closer to 40 percent from long range, he will get a chance to seize that role.
Josh Jackson: Be more efficient
Josh Jackson had some big scoring games for the Detroit Pistons last season, and he is one of their best defenders.
But he shot an awful 30 percent from the 3-point line and just 41 percent overall, so if he wants to finish the season in Detroit, he’ll have to improve those numbers. There are a lot of guys in the NBA who can provide inefficient scoring, and right now it takes Jackson way too many shots to get his points.
He’s not going to get as many looks next season, as the Pistons re-signed Hamidou Diallo and Cade Cunningham will be getting the most usage, so if Jackson wants to have a role, he’ll have to make the most of the shots he does get.
Jerami Grant: Be healthy and consistent
Jerami Grant was asked to do a lot for the Pistons last season and it took its toll. He wore down as the season went on, which affected both his health and shooting consistency.
Grant had to miss a lot of games down the stretch, which probably cost him a realistic chance at the MIP award. His shooting also took a sharp downturn last season and he finished hitting only 35 percent of his 3-point shots.
Dwane Casey will have to do a better job of keeping Grant fresh and healthy so that his usage rate doesn’t affect his shooting.
Saddiq Bey: Add nuance to his offense
We know Saddiq Bey can shoot the 3-ball but if he really wants to open up his offensive game, then he needs to add some more nuance to it.
This would include posting up occasionally, looking to make plays off the dribble and setting up teammates for shots more effectively.
Teams are going to be pressuring Bey on the perimeter and forcing him to put the ball on the floor after his 3-point shooting display last season, and he will have to respond by becoming a threat to score or pass off the bounce.
Detroit Pistons: 1 goal for each center
Kelly Olynyk: Keep doing what you were doing in Houston
Olynyk took off last season after he was traded to the Houston Rockets, putting up the best numbers of his career.
Olynyk could be key to the development of Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes, especially if he can replicate those numbers.
Olynyk scored 19 points and added 8.4 rebounds per game in 27 appearances for the Rockets while shooting nearly 40 percent from long range.
I don’t expect we’ll see him average that many points again, but if he can shoot a high percentage from long range, then he will be a big upgrade from Mason Plumlee and Troy Weaver will look smart for swapping the Plum Dog out.
Isaiah Stewart: Increase his 3-point attempts
Isaiah Stewart showed last season that he could step away from the basket and make a jumper. That and his ability to defend on the perimeter have drawn comparisons to Bam Adebayo, the Al-Star center for the Heat.
Stewart has already proven himself to be the Pistons’ best defender and a guy who can block shots and grab rebounds, but adding a long-range shot to his arsenal will raise the ceiling of what he can be.
I’d like to see Beef Stew launch closer to three from long range per game, which would be more than triple his output from last season. If he hits a league average percentage on three attempts per game, the Detroit Pistons will have an offensive weapon to go along with Stewart’s plus defense.
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.