Detroit Pistons: One analyst thinks the Power Rankings are wrong

The Detroit Pistons didn’t have the headline-grabbing offseason some were expecting after signing head coach Monty Williams.

Instead they punted their cap space into two expiring contracts and doubled down on their young core. Though they didn’t make a big-name addition, getting Cade Cunningham back along with Ausar Thompson and veterans Monte Morris and Joe Harris should help them improve incrementally.

Incremental improvement around young young team wasn’t enough to excite the writers at ESPN, who recently ranked the Pistons dead last in their power rankings.

But at least one analyst thought Detroit was done dirty and that their improvements, while under the radar, could be enough to make them competitive for the play-in.

Detroit Pistons: One analyst thinks the Power Rankings are wrong

Veteran NBA writer and analyst Marc Spears was asked which team deserved more love in the ESPN Power Rankings.

Here’s what he had to say:

"“I think it’s the Detroit Pistons. Monty Williams as a coach there is a huge pickup for a group with some unbelievable young talent. Cade Cunningham, he’s going to be healthy and going to be good, Jaden Ivey, and Ausar Thompson, man, he’s going to be special, a Rookie of the Year candidate, but they still have some new vets like Joe Harris, Monte Morris, Bogdanovic back I’m not saying the Pistons are going win a championship or anything like that but I do think they can compete for one of those play-in spots.”"

On one hand, If you look at the other bad teams from last season, most of them did more to obviously improve their roster. But on the other, none of them are getting a player like Cade Cunningham, who is like adding a high-end free agent after he missed nearly all of last season.

I also think people are sleeping on the two Monties, Williams and Morris, as coach Williams has a track record of improving young teams and Morris will help solidify the guard ranks as a veteran who can actually play, a big step up from the backup point guards from the last few seasons.

So there’s at least one rogue at ESPN who sees Troy Weaver’s vision and thinks the Pistons can make some noise next season.