Detroit Pistons’ fans preparing for the worst this summer

The Detroit Pistons are heading into one of the most important offseasons of recent years and fans are rightfully anxious.

Pistons’ Twitter is a ball of nerves and pessimism heading into the offseason, which is strange considering the team finally has some young talent and the draft pick and cap space to add even more.

But there are big decisions coming concerning the coach, the draft and free agency and in my personal experience, fans are preparing for the worst in each case.

Detroit Pistons’ fans preparing for the worst this summer

The Coach

The Detroit Pistons haven’t hired a coach yet, but the reported three frontrunners are Charles Lee, Jarron Collins and Kevin Ollie, hardly household names. The first two are two of the top young assistants in the league, but the latter hasn’t coached since his days at UCONN or even interviewed for a job in five years.

Fans already seem resigned to the fact that it is going to be Ollie and are rightfully questioning if Troy Weaver is leaning too heavily on personal relationships in his decisions. I’m not saying Ollie (if he gets hired) won’t be a good head coach, as he seems to be a guy that everyone likes and respects, but he’s hardly an inspiring choice for the fan base.

The Draft

The Detroit Pistons have the highest possible odds of landing the first pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, but you wouldn’t know that by listening to fans, who have all but accepted that the Pistons are going to land the 4th or 5th pick and miss a chance to draft Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller.

I’ve seen some version of this tweet about 500 times today:

https://twitter.com/MobHoops/status/1653407348482768896

In 2021 it was the opposite, as the Pistons’ fanbase seemed convinced Detroit was going to get the #1 pick and it did happen. I don’t get that positive vibes this year and I think some fans have already pencilled Jarace Walker into the starting five. Vibes aren’t going to change the outcome of the draft, but there is a stark difference this season.

Free agency

The Pistons are reportedly going to pursue Dillon Brooks in free agency, another move that would be universally loathed by the fanbase.

This pretty much sums up what I’ve been seeing out of fans of the Detroit Pistons of late:

But like I said, vibes don’t make an offseason and there is still a chance the Pistons will have their dream offseason, land the #1 pick, hire a coach everyone likes and make all the right moves in free agency.

But like doomsday preppers stockpiling cans of beans, Pistons’ fans are getting ready for the worst.