Throughout this offseason, the Detroit Pistons took the most reasonable, responsible approach.
Weaver and company drafted well, acquired veterans who fulfill needs, and kept their cap space for another year. That’s what fans should want from a franchise.
We may not want to hear it, but the painful truth is that the Pistons can’t truly compete for a championship unless one of their draft picks becomes a star. Simply put: no path to a championship exists without a team developing a draft pick into a dominant player.
It makes no difference where in the draft the team finds a dominant player. The draft is where the player must be found. Then the team needs to develop that player and a core of competitors six or seven players deep.
The Detroit Pistons must draft championship players
Since 1980, only four teams won a championship without having drafted one of their two best players: the 2020 Lakers, 2019 Raptors, 2004 Pistons, and 1983 Sixers.
Kyle Kuzma, the lone draftee on the 2020 Lakers, was arguably their third best player, and a distant third at that. Kuzma didn’t start a single game in those playoffs, but he anchored the bench and served as a reliable third option when playing alongside James and Davis.
The Raptors won the championship because they traded for Kawhi Leonard, but they wouldn’t have won without Pascal Siakam, a player developed by Dwane Casey. You could make a strong case that Siakam was the second-best player on that team, though for the sake of this argument, I’ll give the nod to Kyle Lowry. I’d be remiss if I didn’t tip my hat to Toronto draftee Fred VanVleet, whose gritty guard play helped tip the scales.
Cheeks, who would later coach the Detroit Pistons, was the third best player on the four-five-four championship Sixers, a legendary team. He played and developed for four years before winning his only championship and serving as a foundational piece to a competitive Sixers franchise for several more years.
Which brings us to the Goin’ to Work Pistons.
Prince, arguably the most underrated player from the 2004 championship team, anchored the perimeter defense in a way that slowed the pace of games and freed Billups to defend off the ball or at the top of the key. Both Rip and Prince had the speed to open a fast break, and the lock-down defense allowed the Pistons to orchestrate their preferred offense. Billups ran half-court sets. Rip roamed and cut off screens. Sheed stretched the floor, and Big Ben rolled to or posted under the basket for lobs or put backs.
We all remember The Block on Reggie Miller and Prince’s defense on Kobe Bryant.
It’s true that Joe Dumars successfully discovered exceptional players through trades and free agency, players who fit together, both emotionally and on the court, and who needed a new environment or a better opportunity in order to realize their full potential. Rip, Chauncey, and Big Ben were undervalued, and Sheed’s best days in Portland ended with both teams playing hard but his team losing the last game of the season.
I’d love to see Troy Weaver evaluate and acquire exceptional talent that everyone else overlooked, but I don’t expect it. Every team in the NBA employs more scouts and talent evaluators than they did in the 90’s and 00’s. A brilliant GM might find one diamond in the rough. The rest need to grow through a player development program.
Despite six consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearances, the Goin’ to Work Pistons only won one championship. Winning in the NBA is difficult, and winning a championship can’t be done without time, patience, and developing a core of drafted players.