The Detroit Pistons have the worst record in the NBA as the new year begins, a position we were hoping would be filled by some other team this season.
But the Pistons have suffered injuries to Cade Cunningham and Jerami Grant, gotten inconsistent play from some of their young guys and have actually been worse than their 20-win campaign last season, which has some misguided fans turning on Troy Weaver.
I still think Weaver’s vision for this team is coming into focus and that they will make big improvements heading into year three of the restoration that will hopefully catapult them out of the cellar.
I hate New Year’s resolutions and never make them for myself, but it’s much easier to make them for other people, so there are three things I want to see the Detroit Pistons stick to over the next year.
New Year’s resolution #1 for the Detroit Pistons: I will be aggressive but not impatient
Being aggressive and patient seem like two things that don’t jive but that is precisely what the Detroit Pistons need to do.
They will have cap space next offseason and I would like them to be aggressive in pursuing a young free agent (or make a trade for one) that complements Cade Cunningham and gives them a chance to take the next logical step towards contention.
However, they shouldn’t throw money away just to sign a guy, and if the right player is not available, it’s ok to do nothing.
Doing nothing is far less damaging than blowing cap space on a guy who won’t really move the needle, so while I would love the Pistons to pursue a guy like Deandre Ayton, if they strike out, so be it.
For YEARS the Detroit Pistons overpaid for role players in an effort to win now, which put them in the 9-10 seed purgatory that teams want to avoid.
This year’s free agent class is not great, so while there are some guys who can help and would be upgrades, I would be ok with them sitting on that space to make a trade later if the top guys stay with their teams or decide to go somewhere else.
Be aggressive, Pistons, but don’t be stupid. We are finally on the brink of building something and there is no reason to set the team back with the wrong guy.
New Year’s resolution #2 for the Detroit Pistons: I will find some shooters
What has become painfully obvious this season is that the Detroit Pistons do not have enough long-range shooting to compete in the modern NBA.
I love the idea of building around versatile players who can defend multiple spots, as I do think that is the blueprint for victory moving forward, but at some point you also need guys who put the ball in the hole.
There are a number of shooters available this offseason who will not break the bank, and the Pistons need to find some of them.
The Pistons are currently tied for last in the NBA in 3-point percentage, hitting just 31 percent as a team. With the best teams hitting closer to 40 percent, Detroit clearly has some work to do.
Currently, they are being led by Cory Joseph, who is shooting 37 percent on two attempts per game, hardly numbers to get excited about.
Guys like Cade Cunningham and Saddiq Bey have picked things up after slow starts and should end the season with decent numbers but the lack of shooting is holding the Detroit Pistons back.
Especially guards Killian Hayes and Cunningham, who are good playmakers whose passes to open teammates often turn into bricks. You have to wonder what their assist numbers might look like if the Pistons had a few shooters out there.
Getting Kelly Olynyk back will help, but the Detroit Pistons are still a shooter or two shy of what they need to compete and should make it a goal to find those guys over the next year.
New Year’s resolution #3 for the Detroit Pistons: I will find an athletic big man
Another thing that has become clear this season is that the Detroit Pistons need another big man.
Isaiah Stewart has had a lot put on him in year two and it has taken its toll, as he has been asked to be the defensive anchor on this team which has clearly had a negative impact on his offensive development.
In the end, Stewart doesn’t have great size for the position, which I don’t think ultimately matters, but it would be nice for Detroit to have another big who can protect the rim, run the floor and catch a lob.
The lack of a real rim runner and lob threat is another thing that has set the young guards back, as they just don’t gave that outlet down low to toss it up to when they’ve broken down a defense or a guy who can run with them in transition.
I don’t think traditional centers are all that important in today’s game, but teams will always need rim protection and ways to get easy buckets, something the Pistons rarely get.
This player doesn’t have to be an All-Star, but getting Stewart some help down low should be a priority this offseason, as the Pistons are 27th in rebounding and 16th in block shots.
Hopefully 2022 will be better to the Detroit Pistons, and it will be if they just stick to the plan, make the right draft pick and don’t get impatient in free agency.