The Detroit Pistons have one half of what a team needs to be a title contender, which is a top 10 defense, but their offense will have to catch up if they are to take the next step as a franchise.
Last year’s champion, the OKC Thunder, had the 3rd-highest offensive rating in the league and were the #1 defense, the only team other than the Celtics to finish in the top five on both sides of the ball.
The Celtics’ hopes of repeating were derailed by an injury to Jayson Tatum, but Boston and OKC have the recipe for a championship, which is being elite on both ends. It can’t just be one or the other, ask the Orlando Magic, who were 2nd in the league in defense but 27th in offensive rating. It didn’t matter that they had an elite defense when their offense couldn’t keep up.
Of the final four teams, only Indiana finished outside the top 10 in either offensive or defensive rating and they were 9th in offense and 14th in defense, ultimately coming up just short to OKC.
Teams like the Magic, Clippers and Rockets had championship defenses last season but didn’t have the offense to match, a problem that still haunts the Detroit Pistons.
The good news is that they are closer than you think and have a chance to get there after acquiring better offensive players this summer.
Detroit Pistons offensive and defensive rating: Inching closer to title contention
The Pistons finished with a top 10 defense but barely edged out the Grizzlies for the 10th spot. This is a strength they will have to improve upon, as they could potentially jump higher season, which would offset some of their offensive weaknesses.
The Pistons were top half of the league in offensive rating last season, finishing 14th, so they aren’t hopeless. Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert (along with leaps from Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland) could make the half-court offense more dynamic, as these players are more versatile than the ones they replaced.
The Pistons also got valuable playoff experience that will undoubtedly help them progress next season, so it’s possible we could see both their offense and defense in the top 10 next season.
If that happens, the Pistons will be well on their way to deeper playoff runs and a shot at competing for a title at some point. It has to give them hope to see what the Pacers did last season, and the Pistons can get to that level if they can improve the offense.