It's not saying much, but the Detroit Pistons are off to a much-better start through roughly 25 percent of the 2024-25 season.
In just 24 games, Detroit has half the wins they had all of last season or the season before. They’ve been competitive in most games, and might actually end up playing some meaningful basketball towards the end of the season. They are not there yet, but the Pistons are inching in the right direction.
Whether their limited success so far is due to the newly acquired veterans, internal growth, or the new coaching staff, Pistons fans will take it. So let’s review each position group and the grades each gets.
Detroit Pistons Guards: B+
Let’s start with the guards. We’re going to give them a B, but it’s about as high of a as high of a B as you can get. Cade Cunningham is averaging 23.5 points, 8.8 assists, and 7.1 rebounds to go along with 38 percent shooting from three. Additionally, he now has four triple doubles this season. Jaden Ivey is averaging 18, 4.3 and 4.3 while also shooting 38 percent from downtown. These numbers are up from last year for both guys.
The new additions, Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. have both been better than expected. Technically, both of their numbers are down from last year, but you have to remember they are now being asked to play different roles with, let’s be honest, a worse cast of teammates.
Both vets are providing floor spacing, and invaluable veteran leadership, even if their numbers are slightly down. Still, I’ll take 16, 3, 2 and 40 percent from three from Beasley and 9.8, 1.7, 1.7 and 36 percent from the perimeter from THJ any day.
Truly, the only reason the guards grade is being kept from an ‘A’ is their turnovers. Cade, Ivey and Malik are all averaging more turnovers than last year, and a number of them have come at the most inopportune times. Cleaning this up over the next quarter will bump this group up easily into A-territory.
Forwards: C-
So far this season, I think we need to give the forwards a slight pass, as they have both a 19 year old rookie playing more minutes than likely expected, and were missing a key piece, especially defensively, in Ausar Thompson for most of the first quarter.
Holland, as already mentioned, was getting more minutes and in higher leverage situations than expected. Athletically, motor, and defensively, Ron has gone above and beyond so far. Shooting, however, is worse than expected. Just 15 percent from three, he himself gets a ‘D’ in that category.
We really only have Simone Fontecchio and Tobias Harris to base this grade off of. Tobias has been decent for Detroit so far. He had a very slow start, but has shown flashes of what he can offer this line up. His ppg is now up to 13, but just 31 percent from deep isn’t going to get it done.
Pairing that with Simone Fontecchio’s horrendous start, and Detroit is in some trouble with their forwards. Font is down, substantially, in every category from his breakout season last year. Admittedly, his path to playing time is more muddied, and it’s possible he’s just not able to get in a good offensive groove, but suddenly, his extension isn’t looking as great as it once did.
Centers: C-
The Pistons center position is easily the most frustrating thus far this year. There was plenty of talk over the offseason about what these two need to do in order to take Detroit to the next level, and some nights it seems they have, and others they’ve even regressed. Both players are down almost five points per game from last year, and their reboundg numbers have also dropped.
Jalen Duren was tasked with improving his defense or else face a more difficult decision this upcoming offseason, and at times, he has. Unfortunately, more often than showing he’s improved, he still seems lost and unengaged on the defensive end.
What’s most concerning for me, though, is Isaiah Stewart’s perimeter game. Going into the year, the plan was to play him almost primarily at the five, which everyone, including Stew, was excited for. His defensive intensity plus three point game was going to be a terrific weapon for Detroit. Instead, he has .9 attempts per game, down from 3.8 last year, and is making only 21 percent, down a full 17 percent from last season.
These two are easily the most shocking and disappointing group from Detroit this first quarter for me. It’s not all doom and gloom, however. Both players are seeing higher field goal percentages from last year, more blocks, and fewer turnovers.
Overall: C+
So far Detroit has played well when compared to the last 3-4 years. They have been competitive, played together, and shown signs of a real roster. That’s not to say everything is great however. The guards need to clean up their turnover problems, forwards need to get healthy, and connect from deep as we know they can, and the centers need to do a little bit of everything. Better defense, show somewhat of a perimeter game, and take some offensive load off the others.
A C+ isn’t great to start the year, but it isn’t terrible either. We’ll check back in at the halfway mark of the season to see if any group has improved their grade.