The Detroit Pistons have a chance to move up in the Eastern Conference and are hoping to get some help from their most hated rivals.
Detroit finished 6th last season, a position that could be precarious with teams like the Hawks and Magic improving this offseason and hoping for better health.
The Raptors could be better with a full season of Brandon Ingram (good luck with that) and the 76ers are hoping to bounce back with better health from their stars (good luck with that).
There are also teams that could take a step back because of roster age or injuries, which opens the window of opportunity for the Pistons to jump into the top four if they can get the type of internal improvement they are hoping for.
Detroit may also be able to take advantage of these teams if they drop too far in the standings.
Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks are under huge pressure to win and made moves to do so by acquiring Myles Turner.
But they didn’t do much else, and lost Damian Lillard in the process, so there is no guarantee the Bucks will be better.
Even if they are horrible and Giannis demands a trade, it’s unlikely Detroit would win that bidding war, as teams like the Knicks and Rockets have been gearing up for such a move and have more to offer.
The Pistons aren’t likely to end up with Giannis but getting him out of the division would be huge and would eliminate one of the Pistons’ chief competitors for a playoff spot next season.
I’ll be cheering against the Bucks.
Boston Celtics
You never need a reason to cheer against the Celtics if you are a real Pistons fan, but there is extra motivation next season.
I wouldn’t be shocked at all if the Celtics are good next season, at least good enough to hold a playoff spot, so I wouldn’t rule them out just because Jayson Tatum is out for the season.
They still have talent and could rally around Jaylen Brown and Derrick White, who could both step into even bigger roles.
But there is also a chance it goes sideways, and we start hearing rumors about White and Brown being traded. I’d pass on Brown at this point as great as he is, as the Pistons have cheap options at his position who could evolve into that type of player in Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland II.
No disrespect to Brown, who is a great two-way wing, but that’s a lot of money.
White would be an intriguing option if the Celtics decide to do a soft tank, which is unlikely, but not impossible if they get off to a slow start without Tatum.
I still like Sam Hauser as a potential option, so the Celtics could be an active team at next year’s trade deadline if things go toes up in Boston.
Indiana Pacers
The Pacers are in a similar position after losing Tyrese Haliburton to an unfortunate injury. As much as I hate the Pacers, I do feel bad for their fans, who were on the precipice of the Finals and have now lost Haliburton and let Myles Turner walk for nothing.
The Pacers never tank, but might be naturally bad without those two guys, at which point we are going to start hearing Pascal Siakam rumors.
In my Homer mind I can envision a scenario in which the Pistons feel they are one player away from title contention and make a big move for Siakam for a deep playoff run. It’s a long shot, but either way, we should be cheering against the Pacers, another rival who finished ahead of the Pistons in the standings.