The Detroit Pistons only won 23 games last season, so it might seem odd to say that they are on the verge of owning the Eastern Conference.
It’s been a while since the Pistons had any type of sustained success and Troy Weaver just spent the last two years completely transforming the roster.
With Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey now in place, the Pistons have two potential stars to build around to go with Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren, who is currently the youngest player in the NBA.
It’s not going to happen right away, but the Pistons are 2-3 years away from potentially owning the East, a sentiment shared by Kevin Durant, who said the Pistons were going to soon be a “force to be reckoned with,” and JJ Redick who recently said that Detroit was going to be one of the “best teams in the East” soon.
The offseason is a time for bold predictions, but there are some very solid reasons why the Pistons will be a force in the East in the next two or three years.
The Detroit Pistons roster and payroll
Getting a star to build around is the key to roster building in the NBA, and the Pistons have two promising guys in Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey.
In the case of Cunningham, he’s the perfect player to build around, as he has the versatility to fit with just about any roster, can play on or off the ball and can defend several positions.
Bey, Stewart, Duren and Isaiah Livers all look like at least solid role players, and in the case of Bey, a potential future All-Star if he can shoot more consistently.
That is a very good start, and when you factor in that the Pistons have one of the best payroll situations in the NBA, they could have a powerful homegrown roster that is supplemented by free agency or a trade for another star.
They are in a great position roster-wise to have sustained success, as they have the right mix of young stars and role players all coming up at the same time with no bad contracts on the cap sheet and plenty of future money to spend.
Detroit Pistons: The top competition in the Eastern Conference
The East was much better this season, with a good amount of depth to go along with at least four title contenders at the top.
It’s not going to be easy for the young Pistons to rise through the ranks, but after seeing what Cleveland did last season, it is certainly possible.
It’s hard to imagine a scenario where the Detroit Pistons take a top seed next season or even make the playoffs, as the East is stacked and getting better.
But most of the teams at the top are already in their peak form and are built around players who are in the latter stages of their peak years. Teams like the Heat, 76ers, Celtics, Bucks, Nets and Bulls are built around stars who will likely still be good in 2-3 years, but they will also be making huge money and be harder to build around in some ways.
I’m not saying all of these teams are suddenly going to be bad, but they are all trying to win titles right now, which forces them to make moves that might not be the best for the future, which could open the door for the young, up-and-coming teams of the East, which includes the Detroit Pistons.
It’s very possible that in three seasons teams like the Pacers, Hawks, Cavaliers, Magic and Pistons will be fighting for the top spots.
Detroit Pistons: The purgatory teams
For many many years, the Detroit Pistons were stuck in NBA purgatory, perpetually just in or just out of the playoffs, not good enough to make a real run but not bad enough to secure a top pick in the NBA Draft.
It’s exactly where you don’t want to be, and thankfully the Pistons finally broke the cycle by tearing down their roster and front office and starting over from scratch.
Right now there are several teams in the East that could find themselves stuck in the wheel of mediocrity with no real path to get out. The Hornets are the ultimate purgatory team, as they seem to get the 9th seed every year.
I’m not sure they’ve made any offseason additions that are going to change that. Same potentially for the Knicks and Wizards. The Knicks did add Jalen Brunson and are apparently going after Kyrie Irving and Donovan Mitchell among others, and if they land Mitchell, that could be enough to propel them into the top of the conference. But if they don’t? Hello 9th seed!
The Wizards re-signed Bradley Beal, but they haven’t done anything else to suggest they are going to bust out of purgatory any time soon.
The Detroit Pistons wil hopefully be rising just as the top teams are falling and some of the others are still spinning their wheels, stuck between competing and rebuilding.
They still have to take care of business on the court but the Detroit Pistons are in a position to rise from the ashes of their own failure and re-take their rightful place at the top fo the Eastern Conference.