Around this time last year, the Detroit Pistons fanbase had grown restless, waiting for a big move that never came.
Instead, Trajan Langdon improved on the fringes, adding Duncan Robinson, Caris LeVert, Javonte Green and two-way player Daniss Jenkins, hoping internal development and holdover Tobias Harris would be enough to get them to the next level.
If you are feeling deja vu, it’s because the Pistons are at it again, bolstering the roster with role players in John Collins, Isaiah Joe, Kevin Huerter and rookie Ebuka Okorie.
The same frustration is starting to bubble up again as fans wait for the big move. Just like last year, the Pistons have been attached to just about every big name in trade rumors, but so far there has been nothing to show for it.
The Pistons may have improved overall so far, but I can understand the frustration, as Cade Cunningham will be entering year six and still doesn’t have a legit second scoring option next to him.
But as much as I too feel the frustration as a fan, there is no reason to panic, as the Pistons are still in a very good spot.
Let’s not forget that the Detroit Pistons were good
What keeps getting lost in all of the star trade talk is that the Pistons were a very good basketball team last season. Yes, they ultimately got exposed in the playoffs, but they won 60 games, progressed further in the playoffs, and overall had a wildly successful season.
After an offseason most people rated at “meh,” they were the best team in the Eastern Conference in the regular season.
No, they haven’t made a star trade, but they’ve added a legit sharpshooter in Isaiah Joe, a stretch four in John Collins and stacked a bunch of tradable contracts along the way.
Last year we watched as teams like Orlando and Atlanta made big swings that were supposed to push them past the Pistons, and fans are worried that the same is happening with Philly and Toronto in this one, but we saw how things turned out last season, so don’t rule the Pistons out just yet.
Ausar Thompson and internal development
No one wants to hear about internal development, but I would bet a substantial amount of money I don’t have that Ausar Thompson blows up next season. He is going to create more off the bounce and make strides as a shooter, though I am not counting on the latter.
You can bookmark this and throw it in my face if it doesn’t happen.
Cade Cunningham is going to be better. We saw a whiff of it in the playoffs, when he was nailing 3-point shots and basically unstoppable. With more spacing around him, he’ll have more room to work.
If the Pistons keep Jalen Duren, I expect he will learn from what happened to him in the playoffs and come back ready to prove himself.
The Pistons’ second star may be on the roster already, so I am not going to panic if they don’t land another one. But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be trying.
The Pistons aren’t finished
We aren’t even a week into free agency, and the Jalen Duren situation isn’t even resolved, so there is still plenty of time for the Pistons to make an impact move this summer.
Trey Murphy III is still reportedly available for the right price, Tyler Herro is still a possibility, and there may be mystery names we’ve not heard yet, so I am sure Trajan Langdon is looking for every way to improve his team.
The Pistons haven’t made a marquee move yet, but they also haven’t made a panic move, which is a good thing, and a strategy that has worked for them so far in the Langdon era.
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