The Detroit Pistons were the worst team in the NBA last season, so they can only go up from here.
How much they can improve is up for debate, as some sites like ESPN have them winning 26 games, while Homers like me are slightly more optimistic with their win predictions.
Detroit didn’t grab any headlines with free-agent additions, but they did add two useful veterans and most importantly, will be getting back a healthy and motivated Cade Cunningham.
Cunningham missed all but 12 games last season, so I would argue that he was one of, if not the biggest, addition to any team in the Eastern Conference this offseason.
But the East should be improved as a whole, so climbing in the standings is not going to be easy for the Detroit Pistons There were a lot of teams in between the Pistons and the playoffs last season, so how many of them can they realistically overtake?
Detroit Pistons: Only if they blow it up
Hawks, Bulls, Raptors, Nets
I think we can immediately rule out the Bucks, 76ers, Cavaliers, Knicks and Heat, who are all contenders who are in a different tier from the Detroit Pistons.
The Hawks, Bulls, Raptors and Nets all won 40 or more games last season, more than double Detroit. But none of them made any big offseason additions and I could defintely see the Bulls and Raptors in particular, making trades to try and get themselves out of NBA purgatory.
None of these teams are good enough to win a title, but they should all be better than Detroit unless they decide to make some roster-altering trades.
Detroit Pistons: Getting closer
Pacers and Magic
The Orlando Magic surprised some people by winning 34 games last season, and they could easily get to that total or surpass it again next season.
They have a sneaky deep roster and still have some potential trades to make to improve it, as Cole Anthony has been deemed superfluous and they could look to move him.
But they still have a lot of questions: Will Paolo Banchero make a big leap in year two and become a superstar? What can they expect from Markelle Fultz, Anthony Black and Jett Howard? Can veteran Joe Ingles help them?
I would expect the Magic to at least win as many games next season, which means the Pistons would have to double their win total to catch them in the standings.
I like the Pacers to be one of the surprise teams in the East next season, as they have a nice combination of young players and veterans, solid rim protection and shooting.
The recent Buddy Hield news does add some drama and uncertainty around a team that was looking to build continuity and improve on their 35 wins from last season.
The Detroit Pistons are getting closer to these teams, and if things break right, could pass them, but they’ll have some work to do to catch the Magic and Pacers.
Teams the Detroit Pistons have to pass
Hornets and Wizards
I don’t think most fans of the Detroit Pistons expect them to suddenly compete for a high seed in the playoffs next season, but they do expect some progress and that would include not finishing last in the Eastern Conference again.
To do that, they will have to pass the Hornets and Wizards, who figure to be near that spot in the standings again next season.
The Hornets will be relying heavily on the health of LaMelo Ball, just as the Pistons will be with Cade Cunningham. The Hornets did win 10 more games than the Pistons last season, but haven’t done much to improve their roster other than drafting rookie Brandon Miller.
He could be a difference-maker right away, who knows and it’s possible that they will find some chemistry with their mix of veterans to go along with young talents like Ball, Miller and Mark Williams.
But they lack depth and will eventually be working Miles Bridges back in, which could go either way. I could see this team being a tabloid disaster, trading Hayward and Rozier and doing a soft rebuild.
I don’t think it’s a given that Detroit is better than Charlotte, but they will need to be if the want to make a leap in the standings.
The Wizards probably waited a year too long to trade Bradley Beal, but they finally did and are now rebuilding with the assets they acquired. Is Jordan Poole for real? We shall see. It’s hard to see the Wizards improving on their 35 wins from last season, as their roster is full of middling guys and they might be content with tanking.
There are no guarantees for next season, as every team in the East should at least be competitive at the beginning and there will be fewer teams tanking with no Victor Wembanyama at stake.