3 things the Pistons need to do to get back in the playoffs

The Detroit Pistons won just 17 games this past season, worst in the NBA, and have now missed the playoffs for four straight seasons.

But it gets worse: The Pistons haven’t won a playoff game since the 2007-8 season, having been swept in their three appearances in the playoffs since then. It’s the longest drought of playoff futility in the NBA, something Monty Williams soon hopes to change.

It may not happen in one season, but Williams does have a history of taking bad teams with solid young talent and molding them into contenders, as he did with the Phoenix Suns.

Most fans would be happy if the Pistons were just competitive, and don’t expect them to suddenly be a playoff team after being the worst team in the league. But the Detroit Pistons have improved and will enter the season with playoff aspirations.

Here’s how they can get there.

3 things the Pistons need to do to get back in the playoffs

1. Get big leaps from their young core

This falls squarely into the “no s***” category.

But the truth is that this team is only going to go as far as Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson carry them. Cunningham and Duren are playing with the USA Select team, a great opportunity that should help them sharpen their skills this summer while playing competitive basketball against some of the best players in the world.

We need Cade to become the guy we think he can be, and there were signs that was going to happen last season before he was injured. He’s going to come back healthy and poised for a monster season.

Duren needs to make big improvement as a rim protector and Jaden Ivey needs to be more efficient in an off-ball role, one that should suit him, as he was much better as a catch-and-shoot scorer last season.

This team goes as the young core goes, so without improvement from them, the playoffs are out of the question.