The Detroit Pistons are still young and inconsistent, but we are starting to see more of the team we thought they could be.
Detroit is 5-3 in 2022, notching impressive wins over some good teams with a couple of embarrassing blowouts sprinkled in between.
They flash tantalizing talent at times, but consistency is the key for the Pistons and the only way to get it is by stringing together wins, learning from their mistakes and getting better every game.
Some fans get angry every time the Pistons win a game, as the chance at another top pick in the draft brings hope and every win potentially takes them further from one of those top guys.
But the Pistons already have the foundation of their future with Cade Cunningham leading the way, and learning how to win is far more important for their growth than a slight change in lottery odds.
Detroit Pistons lottery odds
As of right now, the Pistons have the second-worst record in the NBA behind the Orlando Magic. As we have discussed before, the only advantage to being the worst team is that you can’t drop out of the top five, other than that, the odds are the same for the bottom three teams.
The Rockets are just a half game ahead of the Pistons, and if things keep trending they way they have been, Detroit will overtake them at some point this season.
Good. Incremental improvement is what you want from a rebuilding team and going from the second-worst record to the third is about as incremental as it gets.
Passing Houston would not hurt Detroit’s lottery odds at all, and I would love nothing more than for Cade’s team to beat out Jalen Green’s, even if is at the bottom of the standings.
After that, the OKC Thunder are in the 4th position, a full four games ahead of the Pistons. I would love for Detroit to catch them too, but it’s pretty unlikely. Even if they did, Detroit’s lottery odds would only drop by four percent to stay in the top four.
The Pacers and the Spurs are the next two teams on the list, both percentage points ahead of OKC, and yes, I’d love for the Pistons to pass them too. They are both floundering right now, so you never know.
And if they were to miraculously climb all the way to the 6th-worst record, they’d still have a 37 percent chance of getting a top four pick.
I know some fans would rather have those increased odds over the wins, but imagine Detroit heading into the offseason with some momentum as a young team that is heading in the right direction instead of one that is staring down another 20-win season.
It not only would give the young players confidence and motivation but would make them more appealing to potential free agents. Count me in.
Obviously, I would love to have one of those top-4 picks, but give me wins any day, as I want this team to be good in my lifetime, not just keep adding “potential” that never gets fulfilled.
A young team that is trending up makes Detroit a player in the offseason and is the next logical step of the restoration. Who knows, with the right additions next offseason they could even be the playoff contender some thought they would be this season.