The Detroit Pistons’ historic turnaround last season was helped in large part by an influx of solid veterans compared to the season prior. Of those veterans, Tim Hardaway Jr and Dennis Schroder (who was acquired at the trade deadline) have now left for other teams in free agency while Malik Beasley has pending federal investigation related to gambling irregularities and not currently signed by any team. These players’ on-court contributions will be missed, but their effect on the team culture was also important.
The Detroit Pistons finding new veterans to fit the culture
The Pistons’ team culture completely turned around last season and went from a sense of defeat and despair to one of confidence and swagger. They leaned into a strong defensive identity and toughness that brought back memories of the Bad Boys era of the ‘80s and Goin’ to Work era of the 2000s. The additions of coach JB Bickerstaff and the aforementioned veterans, along with starting power forward Tobias Harris, undoubtedly helped spur this turnaround.
We’ve already covered in detail how the on-court production of the departing veterans will be missed and what new additions or returns (in the case of Jaden Ivey) can do to fill those roles. However, another consideration is the impact on the locker room and team culture. Look at any of the most popular post-game clips from last season, whether it’s an interview or going back to the locker room through the tunnel, and you’ll often see Beasley and Hardaway leading the celebration.
Amidst the good vibes and celebrating to Gmac Cash’s “Pistons Won Again”, the veteran influence could not be ignored. Fortunately, Tobias Harris remains on the team to carry over that leadership and the two newest veteran additions (Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert) seem like good locker room guys who also have chemistry with each other going back to their time as college teammates at the University of Michigan.
But the main burden of continuing a winning culture now rests on the shoulders of head coach JB Bickerstaff and the young stars. It will be up to them to integrate new players into their team, as the Thunder did last year with Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso, and build a true contender on and off the court.
The Pistons are counting on continuity and chemistry to take them to the next step and need their new veterans to step into roles left vacated.