There hasn’t been a lot to cheer about this season for the Detroit Pistons.
They have the worst record in the NBA, are currently mired in a nine-game losing streak and lost their best player just 12 games into the season.
Pretty much all we’ve had is watching young players like Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren develop and wondering how all of these various pieces are going to fit together to eventually form a winning team.
One of the more entertaining developments of the season has been the improvement of Hamidou Diallo, who has been very good off the bench over the last 30 games, giving the Detroit Pistons some added defense and energy along with efficient scoring at the rim.
His free-agent stock has been going up of late and serious debate was starting about whether the Pistons should re-sign him this offseason.
It’s not going to be easy, and some recent news may have sealed his time with in Detroit.
Detroit Pistons: Hamidou Diallo’s injury puts future with the team in doubt
The Detroit Pistons have had a slew of injuries lately, some of them of the “tank” variety, but also some to young players, which is a shame, as watching them was the only real reason to tune in for the remaining games.
Yesterday the team announced that Hamidou Diallo had sprained his ankle and will likely miss the rest of the season:
Hamidou Diallo Injures Ankle, Likely Out For Season https://t.co/okfYI8EOqf pic.twitter.com/e8Fo6UPts9
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) March 7, 2023
This is a huge bummer, as Diallo was playing the best basketball of his career and his high-energy, high-flying style was one of the most entertaining parts of this current rotation.
This could mean we’ve seen the last of Diallo in Detroit, as the Pistons already have 10 players under contract for next season and need to add talent on the wing if they want to achieve their stated goal of being competitive.
They could retain Diallo for depth, but it’s hard to see how he fits considering the Pistons will look to add at least one draft pick to this group and likely a couple of free agents. If Detroit were to make some trades to clear roster spots, then Diallo could find a place, as his energy has been a welcome addition to the bench this season.