Detroit Pistons have improved their two biggest weaknesses

Few teams in the NBA have changed as much as the Detroit Pistons over the last few years.

They went from a team with a bloated and aging payroll to one of the best financial situations in the NBA, while drafting a couple of potential stars to build around and flanking them with other young and talented role players.

Troy Weaver’s two-year transformation of the team has been impressive, as the Pistons now have one of the best young cores in the NBA, as well as plenty of future cap space to add more impact talent.

Even the most miserable and pessimistic of fans (you know who you are) would have to admit that Detroit is much better off than they were before Weaver took over and are on the precipice of actually being good.

But it’s not all about money, potential and the future, as the Pistons are a better team now than when they entered the offseason and have shored up their two biggest weaknesses.

Detroit Pistons: 2 biggest weaknesses have been addressed.

The Pistons had two glaring weaknesses coming into this offseason. The first was that they were too small, as Detroit lacked both lob threats and rim protection.

Enter veteran Nerlens Noel (one of the best shot blockers in the league) and rookie Jalen Duren, who is also a talented rim protector already at age 18, as well as a guy who can catch and finish a lob.

These two aren’t expected to play a ton of minutes right away, but they give the Pistons options on both ends, two guys who can block shots and catch a lob, which they weren’t getting from Kelly Olynyk.

The second weakness was 3-point shooting, as Detroit was pretty much the worst 3-point shooting team in the league last season.

Internal improvements from Cade Cunningham and Saddiq Bey are coming, but that probably wasn’t going to be enough to lift Detroit out of the cellar when it comes to 3-point shooting.

Enter Alec Burks and Bojan Bogdanovic, two professional veterans who have been among the best 3-point shooters in the league over the last three seasons. Burks has shot right at 40 percent from long range over the last three seasons, and Bogdanovic has been one of the most reliable 3-point shooters since joining the NBA, coming in just under 40 percent for his career.

Addressing these two weaknesses probably won’t make the Pistons a contender for a championship, but it will make them better, hopefully enough that they can make a run at the playoffs.

Troy Weaver deserves plenty of credit for strengthening the two biggest weaknesses without sacrificing the future or disrupting the rebuild.