The Detroit Pistons have great team chemistry, which is the main reason they shouldn’t make a splashy trade at the deadline.
That was the opinion of Bill Simmons on a recent podcast, who said the Pistons “like each other” and had a clear identity and team chemistry that they shouldn’t disrupt.
The Pistons have been mentioned as possible suitors for everyone from Lauri Markkanen to Anthony Davis, but these were more fan and agent fiction than reality, as the Pistons aren’t going to gut their roster for any player with a sketchy injury history.
Smaller moves like Trey Murphy III would still require a hefty trade package, and Trajan Langdon may balk at any trade that costs him one of his young players, though it is likely he’s looking for ways to improve around the edges.
Words like “chemistry” get thrown around a lot in sports, and at times we attach an unearned sentimental value to the idea, as talent ultimately wins out, but it is important in basketball and the Pistons don’t want to disrupt what they have going.
The Detroit Pistons have an identity
I can remember the 2004 Finals when the Pistons trounced the heavily favored Lakers, who were supposed to sweep Detroit behind their superstar duo of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.
The Lakers had more top-end talent, but the Pistons beat them with defense and superior depth, which is what they’ve been doing this season, with nearly everyone on the roster contributing in some way.
This is a team that genuinely likes one another, they hang out and have great banter, and they feed off each other’s energy and successes in ways that elevate the group. JB Bickerstaff has gotten his team to buy into defense and energy as foundations, and they do have a mojo about them that makes them greater than the sum of their parts.
I get the urge to add another top-end talent, as Cade Cunningham is the only MVP candidate who doesn’t have a clear second star next to him, though Jalen Duren and others have looked the part at times.
Windows can close quickly, and there is no guarantee this team will just keep improving without help from the outside at some point.
But that point doesn’t have to be now, as there is something to be said for chemistry and continuity, not to mention the challenge of trying to work another key rotation player into the mix with only 30 games left in the season, which is what the Pistons would have to do if they made a trade at the deadline.
I can’t argue that the Pistons have the most talent in the East, but they might be the best team in terms of chemistry and how they complement and back one another.
If the right deal is out there, I am sure Trajan Langdon will explore all ways to improve his team. I do expect the Pistons to make some kind of smaller move to add a shooter or more bench depth, but this could be one of those special groups whose chemistry and camaraderie are too precious to risk.