The Detroit Pistons were the worst team in the NBA last season, so it wasn’t surprising when their 2023-24 schedule didn’t contain many nationally televised games.
You also won’t see too many Pistons on offseason lists or hear many people predict they will be anything but bad again next season, which is what comes from years of futility in the win column.
The Detroit Pistons will have to earn that respect, and the only way to do it is by winning. After winning only 17 games last season, Detroit is certainly in a position to shock some people next season.
Casual fans outside of Detroit don’t talk about the Pistons much, but these three guys have a chance to change that.
3 Detroit Pistons that could shock the world next season
Monty Williams
The Pistons’ biggest offseason addition may be head coach Monty Williams, who will take over for Dwane Casey, who was mercifully moved to the front office.
Unlike Casey, Williams will be tasked with winning games instead of just player development, so we’ll see tighter rotations, players pulled after mistakes and no guarantees of minutes.
We’ll also (hopefully) see a more exciting and fluid offense in the half court and an improvement on the defensive end.
Williams has a history of turning teams around right away. He added nine wins to the Pelicans’ total in his first season as head coach in New Orleans, winning 46 games with a rag-tag roster led by a young, dynamic point guard named Chris Paul. He’s hoping to have similar success with another young point guard in Cade Cunningham.
But Williams’ time in Phoenix may be even more relevant, as the Suns, like the Pistons, were the NBA’s worst team when he took over, winning just 19 games the season prior. He got them all the way up to 34 wins in his first season after the Suns shocked everyone by going 8-0 in the Disney bubble.
People are sleeping on what his addition can mean for the Detroit Pistons, and you will see some surprised faces if his young roster is in the mix for the play-in next season.
3 Detroit Pistons that could shock the world next season
Cade Cunningham
Every time I think of Cade Cunningham’s return next season, the lyrics to Forgot About Dre pop into my mind because it feels like a lot of people have forgotten about Cade.
After missing all but 12 games last season, Cunningham has mostly been absent from the national discussion, though ESPN did pick him as their top candidate for Most Improved Player next season.
Even that seems off, as it’s not like Cade needs to improve as much as he needs to stay healthy, which he should be able to after having surgery on a shin that has been bothering him since high school.
Cunningham was averaging 19/6/6 before getting injured and is now going to come back stronger, motivated and ready to show the world why he was the #1 pick.
It feels like Cunningham is flying under the radar a bit outside of Detroit, and it also feels like an All-Star level season is not out of the question in year three. That won’t be a shock for those of us who have followed every step of his journey, but those outside of the Detroit bubble may be shocked at just how good Cunningham is next season.
3 Detroit Pistons that could shock the world next season
Ausar Thompson
It was somewhat surprising when the Detroit Pistons drafted Ausar Thompson with the 5th pick, as there had been a lot of other names mentioned as possibilities leading up to the 2023 NBA Draft.
Detroit is a team that has long had a void where a small forward should be and struggled mightily to defend the position last season with Saddiq Bey and Bojan Bogdanovic.
Most of the draft profiles of Thompson talked about his athleticism and defense, how he couldn’t shoot and how his brother Amen was going to be the better playmaker. After seeing some glimpses of Ausar in Summer League, I am not so sure.
Thompson is far more than just a great athlete, as he has great court awareness, vision, is a better playmaker than he’s been given credit for and is an excellent rebounder who can grab a board and go with it.
Thompson also showed an improving 3-point shot in his final days in Overtime Elite, and I think he’ll surprise some people by hitting a decent percentage next season. I also think he’ll be starting before the season is out and will help the Pistons improve to a top-15 defense while finishing in the top-3 for Rookie of the Year.
Thompson wants to be the best player from his draft class and his is going to shock some people when he shows he’s far more than just a defender.