The Detroit Pistons will enter next season with a young roster and a lot to prove.
Is this a team that is finally ready to compete for a play-in spot or will the tank be on again? That is the question many fans are asking, as the Pistons definitely have talent, but may still be a year away since most of their players are in their early 20’s.
There is also a potential generational prospect coming out in next year’s draft, so young teams that falter early may take steps to put themselves in position to land the #1 pick, though even the best odds make it a long shot.
I do think the Detroit Pistons will enter next season with the intention of winning games, as they don’t want all of their young guys to start their careers as losers who haven’t played a meaningful game.
It will likely be well over half the season before we know if the Detroit Pistons are going to tank, and this team will be given around 55 games to prove themselves.
Detroit Pistons: We’ll know if the tank is on by the trade deadline
Last season’s trade deadline came at the 55 game mark and this year’s will be close to that as well.
This is likely the marker Troy Weaver will use to decide if his team is ready to compete for a play-in spot and take the next step as a franchise or if the tank is on again.
If the Pistons are anywhere near .500 at the trade deadline, I think they will try to make a run at the playoffs, and we may even see them add some veteran talent to the roster.
If the team has won 12 games (the mark they hit at last season’s trade deadline), then we could see a flurry of moves, including trading all of the veterans for future draft consideration, which will tell us the Detroit Pistons are tanking.