3 desperate moves to save the Detroit Pistons’ season
We are only 11 games into the 2023-24 season and the Detroit Pistons are already in desperation mode.
Riding an 8-game losing streak, the Pistons have had a lot of positives this season, but none of them are translating to wins.
Troy Weaver talked endlessly about how this would be the season the Pistons would finally be competitive, yet here they are with the worst record in the NBA. It’s certainly not over yet, and Weaver has to be given some slack for all of the injuries, as it is not his fault that half of his roster and all of the veterans went out at the same time.
The Detroit Pistons have also had arguably the toughest schedule in the NBA, so the league didn’t do them any favors. But the excuses are starting to get old.
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The Pistons aren’t in full-blown desperation mode yet, and who knows, they may never get there, as it’s not readily clear if owner Tom Gores knows that losing is a bad thing, and so far he’s extended endless patience to Weaver and his rebuild.
Here are three possible solutions that don’t involve just waiting around for guys to get healthy, each one progressively more radical in approach.
Unleash Jaden Ivey already
Jaden Ivey returned from illness last night, but only played 11 minutes, which you might expect as he tries to ramp up after what was reportedly a very serious viral infection that had him knocked off his feet.
But he wasn’t playing much before the illness, averaging just 19 minutes per game. One thing that has become abundantly clear during this losing streak is that Cade Cunningham needs some help. Cade is leading the NBA in minutes, has over a 30 percent usage rate, and his shooting numbers have been in a freefall as the minutes and workload pile up.
The Pistons clearly need another player who can break down a defense, as right now, teams are just focusing on Cade and not scared of anyone else. Ivey has shot the ball well in limited attempts this season, but more important is that he can break down a defense off the bounce, get out in transition and get the Detroit Pistons some easy buckets that don’t involve Cade having the ball in his hands for 23 seconds of the shot clock.
Killian Hayes has actually played well of late, but defenders aren’t scared of him and his defense isn’t good enough to offset that fact. Ivey has been competing on defense and even though he still needs improvement, the effort is there.
Detroit needs a secondary scoring option who can get them some easier buckets, so it’s time to unleash Jaden Ivey, enough is enough already. But there is another, more desperate option.