With just 23 games remaining, the Detroit Pistons are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, so they don’t have much to play for as a team other than lottery position.
While fans would love to see some individual development, the Pistons are also hoping to be in prime position in the lottery to get the best possible odds for Victor Wembanyama.
But that’s not going to stop the players from giving it their all and hopefully accomplishing some individual goals by the end of the season.
Here are three bold predictions for three players who want to have a strong finish and could put themselves in a position to enter the team record books or even take home some hardware at the end of the season.
Here are three bold predictions for the rest of the season.
Detroit Pistons: Isaiah Stewart will shoot 40 percent from 3-point range for the rest of the season
After starting the season on a hot streak, Stewart fell off from behind the 3-point line. He’s only shot 27.5 percent from long range over his last 25 games, but has continued to shoot 4.1 of them per game.
But there are signs of improvement. He’s gotten over 32 percent in his last 10 games and hit 7-of-10 in the two games prior to the All-Star break.
The addition of James Wiseman should ensure that Stewart doesn’t see any more time at center this season, which should open up more opportunities for him behind the arc. Just like last season, Stewart should finish strong from long range and give the Detroit Pistons continued hope that he can be a stretch four in their rotation.
Detroit Pistons: Jalen Duren sets a rookie record
The biggest bright spot of the season has been rookie Jalen Duren, who is already better than advertised in a lot of areas and looks like he could evolve into one of the best young centers in the game.
He has taken off in the starting lineup, is a better passer than he should be considering he’s the youngest player in the league, and has already shown he can be a dominant force on the boards and around the rim. He already joined LeBron James in the NBA record books this season and now has his eye set on a Pistons’ record.
He’s also on the verge of the Pistons’ rookie record for double-doubles, which is currently held by former center Greg Monroe, who recorded 21 in his rookie campaign.
Duren currently has 12, so would need an additional nine over the next 23 games to tie and 10 to own the record by himself.
He has averaged a double double as a starter, so this may come down to health, as Duren had to miss the Rising Stars Challenge with an ankle injury, so if that lingers, it will hurt his chances. But if he is healthy to finish the season, he has a good chance of putting himself in the Pistons’ record books.
Detroit Pistons: Jaden Ivey finishes 2nd in the Rookie of the Year voting
This is probably the biggest leap, as Paolo Banchero probably already has this award wrapped up, and Bennedict Mathurin has been right behind him for most of the season.
These two players are also on better teams than the Detroit Pistons, so Ivey will have his work cut out for him if he wants to leapfrog several players to finish second.
But Ivey has been playing well of late, arguably better than Mathurin, whose shooting has plummeted over the last 20 games. Ivey is shooting 36 percent from long range while Mathurin is hitting just 26.8 percent of his attempts in that stretch and they are both shooting the same number per game.
If this continues, Ivey should get consideration from voters, especially when you consider his overall numbers this season. Ivey is the only rookie in the NBA who has logged at least 700 points, 200 assists and 200 rebounds, showing his overall impact on the game.
It’s also possible he’ll get a boost of confidence from the Rising Stars Challenge and continue his run of shooting well from the mid-range and 3-point line, ticking up his overall scoring average closer to Mathurin’s.
Ivey would really have to dominate to get some attention from the national media, so this one is unlikely, but if you look at the full picture, he definitely has an argument to finish at least third.