The Detroit Pistons should consolidate some of their talent for an upgrade that will help them win the Eastern Conference, at least according to one NBA guru.
That was the opinion of Zach Lowe on a recent episode of his podcast, and he did make some solid points to justify his claim.
The Pistons currently have 11 rotation players and that doesn’t even count Paul Reed, who has been awesome when called upon, Marcus Sasser, who hasn’t even played yet because of injury and rookie Chaz Lanier, who would be getting playing time on a lot of the bad teams right now.
It’s ultimately a great problem to have, but Lowe thinks the Pistons should “strike while the iron is hot” in an Eastern Conference that is entirely up for grabs this season. Improvement is not always a linear path, and there is no guarantee the Pistons will be better next year just by standing with the roster they have.
Things change quickly, ask the Pacers, who went from the Finals to the cellar in just a few months. The window could be open for Detroit now, but trading players always comes with some amount of risk.
You also need someone to trade for.
The Detroit Pistons need to find the perfect trade or not make one at all
It’s easy to tell the Pistons they should consolidate some of their talent, but in reality, it’s not that simple.
The Pistons have to decide which players they are willing to part with and find a player to trade for who clearly makes them better, which won’t be an easy task.
We have pipe dreams like Lauri Markkanen and Giannis, which would require a franchise-altering gutting of the roster, which seems unlikely for Detroit.
After that top tier, what is left? The Pistons have to sniff out the kind of trade the OKC Thunder made last offseason, when they brought in key veteran role players to complement their core, but if that guy isn’t out there, fine, just go to war with the players you have.
The Pistons don’t want to disrupt their chemistry just for the sake of doing something or making JB Bickerstaff’s life easier as a coach, as they may need the depth they enjoy if there are further injuries.
I’m sure Trajan Langdon is already out there making calls on players he feels could be upgrades, but he has also talked a lot recently about “continuity,” which is something he values, so don’t expect him to be busy unless the right trade emerges.