The Detroit Pistons are not winning many games, and they have a lot invested in the players who are doing the losing. Problem?
The Pistons are not at the top of the NBA standings, which was sort of expected (the oddsmaker had them winning just 27-29 games before the season). And, lately, they have not been very competitive, which is not expected.
For all of its problems scoring more points than the other team, Detroit has always been competitive, you could count on them putting up a fight until the end, when something would occur causing them to lose.
They might not have done well in the Win-Loss column, but Pistons fans who bet on them usually did rather well, as they covered the spread on a fairly regular basis.
But, now, that is not even occurring, and here is the scary part: A lot of these players doing all the losing and looking bad doing it, are in Detroit due to a major investment in them by the organization.
These are not cheap, transient, fringe players who will soon be gone once the Pistons get their real core together: This is, pretty much, the core of the future (minus 1).
High draft picks, big contract players are the ones mostly playing for Detroit Pistons
Who is currently starting and playing a lot for the Pistons, look at why they are here:
Killian Hayes: No. 7 overall pick in 2020 draft
Isaiah Stewart: No. 16 overall pick in 2020 draft
Saddiq Bey: No. 19 overall pick in 2020 draft
Jaden Ivey: No. 5 overall pick in 2022 draft
Bogan Bogdanovic: Highest paid player with $39 million owed after this season
Marvin Bagley III: Second-highest paid player on team with $27 million owed after this season
Jalen Duren: No. 13 overall pick in 2022 draft
There is a lot invested, either in draft capital or owner Tom Gores’ money, with these players.
It would be good news if they were playing well and winning games. But they are playing badly, and losing a lot.
The most odd part is, when looking at the players individually, they seem to be fine but, collectively, it’s been a disaster.
Detroit Pistons players good, but play bad
The most maddening part is, no individual player can be pointed to where one can say: “He stinks, if we got rid of him, we’d be good’.
Bogdanovic has been great, he should be given All-Star consideration. Bagley has given Detroit an inside scoring threat.
Ivey, after a little slump, has been scoring 15-16 points a game, Duren is setting rookie rebounding records matched only by Dwight Howard. Killian Hayes is looking like an NBA point guard and hitting tough shots (honestly, seen it myself).
Saddiq Bey has been moved out of the starting lineup but has helped the Pistons have the No. 1 scoring bench in the league.
None of the first-round draft picks can be labeled a ‘bust’, and the highly-paid vets are doing their job. Yet Detroit is at the bottom of the standings.
Alec Burks is also given them solid scoring off the bench, and he is on a middling contract, so he can be considered a steal. Second round 2021 pick Isaiah Livers was helpful before a shoulder injury knocked him out.
Yet, when put together, the results have not been good. The Pistons have lost by 20 or more points, seven times in their first 33 games.
Is it all because no Cade Cunningham?
Certainly the loss of Cunningham was a blow to the team. He is the ultimate ‘glue’ guy, whatever the team needs, scoring, rebounding, passing or defense, he can supply it. But that is a reason for a talent gap, not an execution problem.
And Detroit was 3-9 before Cunningham was lost for the year, so it is not like they were Boston or Milwaukee level when he was playing.
The big question
If things continue this way (and they may not, much of the problem is chemistry and effort), where they are losing, with mistakes making them non-competitive, is general manager Troy Weaver ready to make some major changes on the roster?
Getting rid of guys he drafted in the first round or signed to big money deals might be in order, if this current roster proves they can not play together.
It would be easy to just chalk it all up to no Cade Cunningham and tread water until next season. We will see what the Pistons do with a lot of players they have heavily invested in, if they keep not looking good playing together.