Orlando and OKC have set the bar for the Detroit Pistons

Troy Weaver’s time with the Detroit Pistons has mostly be associated with words like “rebuild” and “restore.”

Weaver was given the tall task of tearing down a roster that badly needed a reboot and so far that is exactly what he has done, grabbing some nice young talent along the way.

This was the season that the Detroit Pistons were supposed to pivot towards being competitive, but the early injury to Cade Cunningham submarined any chances of that happening.

With Cunningham back next season, and hopefully finally 100 percent, to go along with another high draft pick and some free agents, more will be expected of the Pistons next season and “we’ll be great next year” I promise will no longer suffice.

Detroit needs to see some results, and while no one expects (or should) that they will compete for a title next year, there needs to be positive advancement and two young teams in the NBA have set the bar.

OKC and Orlando are where the Detroit Pistons need to be…

The Orlando Magic have been better than expected this season even though they are the 4th-youngest team in the NBA, younger than the Pistons, who were 9th at the start of the season.

The Magic certainly aren’t great, and are unlikely to even make the play-in, but they have already won 24 games and are within shouting distance of the 10th spot heading into the final stretch of the season.

This is where most people thought the Detroit Pistons could be this season if everything went right, and who knows, if Cade hadn’t gotten hurt, they might be. The Orlando Magic are the low bar set for the Pistons to clear next season, as they have to at least be competitive and be on the fringes of the play in or people are going to start talking about Troy Weaver’s job being in jeopardy.

A better mark would be the OKC Thunder, who are the league’s youngest team and currently one game under .500 in the final play-in spot in the Western Conference. They’ve done this without getting anything from #2 pick Chet Holmgren, so the Thunder’s season has been impressive, and one the Pistons hope to emulate next year.

One big factor for both Orlando and OKC is that they have defended their home court, as the Magic are 14-15 at home and the Thunder are an impressive 17-12 in their home arena.

The Pistons are just 9-18 at home, so the leap they need to make next season starts with being better at Little Caesar’s Arena.

The other glaring issue is the defense, as the Pistons are 29th in defensive efficiency this season while the Magic are 18th and the Thunder have jumped all the way up to 10th overall. Improving the defense and the home record will help Detroit close the gap.

With another high draft pick coming, loads of money to spend in free agency and Cade Cunningham back next season, the Detroit Pistons need to improve to at least a fringe play-in team like Orlando, or better yet, a play-in contender like OKC, or big changes could be on the horizon.