Any other year, the top seed in the Eastern Conference would be considered the heavy favorites to make it out of the East when the NBA playoffs come.
For the Detroit Pistons though, there seems to be more pessimism surrounding their postseason chances than there is confidence about their ability to make a deep postseason run.
Part of the increased doubt as of late stems from the recent injury to MVP candidate and driving force of the team, Cade Cunningham.
However, even before Cunningham went down with a collapsed lung, the overwhelming sentiment surrounding the team's postseason odds were that the shortcomings shown over the course of the regular season would be the exact thing to hinder them when the postseason come around.
And according to Bryce Simon's comments on a recent episode of The Athletic NBA Daily podcast, those exact shortcomings put a hard ceiling on the team's playoff hopes.
Bryce Simon pins Pistons as second-round exit
Simons has become a well-respected voice around NBA media, and his opinion carries weight.
The NBA mind made it clear that the team's lack of three-point shooting and the ceiling of Jalen Duren as a secondary scorer could factor in to the team's playoff chances.
"I do worry about the Pistons’ three-point shooting in the playoffs," Simons said. "I do worry about how that’s going to hold up when you have this many non-floor spacers in the lineup. Is the defense going to hold? Is Jalen Duren, as your No. 2 scoring option, going to hold? Is Tobias [Harris] going to be able to do the necessary things? And Daniss Jenkins, who’s been an incredible story as your third guard— is that going to work?"
The concerns didn't stop there for Simons, who cited Cunningham's pending recovery as a major concern.
"And now, you have to consider Cade Cunningham coming off a collapsed lung and having no idea what his stamina and legs are going to be. I do have concerns," Simons continued. I think they get out of the first round, but if you made me bet a significant amount of money, I’d say they probably cap out in the second round."
Although these comments surely are the exact opposite of what fans hope to hear, the good news is at the end of the day, Detroit control their own destiny.
Pistons can use these comments as bulletin board material
J.B. Bickerstaff's squad has seemingly made a reputation for themselves to play best when their backs are against the wall.
With seemingly everyone doubting them before the postseason begins, it seems the media is already backing them in a corner; one the team can pride themselves on fighting out of.
A postseason spot is already clinched and all signs are pointing to Detroit being the No. 1 seed. If the Pistons are able to get Cunningham back, there's a chance they can defy all the odds and make a postseason run the Motor City can be proud of.