The Detroit Pistons have progressed from the "how do they get respectable" stage to the "how do they win a title stage," which is a strong indicator that things are going in the right direction.
We’ve seen Detroit thrown into all types of fake trades that land them the elusive “second star,” and as usual, they range from the interesting to the ridiculous. I enjoy the speculation, but a lot of it is not rooted in the reality that the Pistons are actually a good team.
They won 60 games and took the much more experienced Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games after blowing a 2-0 lead. They showed growth and grit and even though it didn’t turn out how we wanted, it’s hard for me to look at this season as anything but a roaring success.
You don’t get any participation trophies for the regular season, but the Pistons thrashed the New York Knicks three times, the team that is on the verge of the title, so it’s not like they are a million miles away from contending, which is good news.
Maybe it was the way the Pistons flamed out in game seven, or the eerie similarities to the year before watching Cade Cunningham try to do everything, but the Pistons' loss to the Cavs lit a match under the “second star” debate.
Do the Detroit Pistons have to make a big move?
The Pistons have to improve, I don’t think anyone disagrees with that statement, but how to do it is where it gets tricky.
The Pistons have to walk the line between getting Cunningham the help he needs and not dismantling what made them good in the first place. There are ways to do that without making risky trades for short-term rentals like Kawhi Leonard or Kyrie Irving, who are not reliable and would cost a ton to acquire.
There might be a middle ground with players like Norman Powell or even Tyler Herro, but the Pistons shouldn’t fundamentally alter their team to chase a pipe dream.
I know no one wants to hear this, but the players they have are going to continue to get better. Ausar Thompson will add a little offense, Jalen Duren will continue to improve on both ends and hopefully show up in the playoffs knowing exactly what he needs to do to be effective.
Ron Holland II could be a more reliable bench contributor and even Cade Cunningham could see an uptick in 3-point shooting like we saw in the playoffs.
None of this is to say the Pistons shouldn’t make moves, but they don’t have to do them out of desperation, as they are not that far off the elite teams with one big exception.
The Pistons need more quality depth
Watching the Cavs series I kept thinking to myself, “If we had Max Strus instead of Caris LeVert, we win this in six.” Watching the OKC vs. Spurs series, I kept thinking, “If we had any one of these 12 role players on the Thunder and Spurs, we would have beaten the Cavaliers.”
The point is that the Pistons need better role players, not necessarily another superstar. Detroit’s starting five had the best net rating in the playoffs, but they weren’t bringing any impact off the bench or consistently from their role players in the starting lineup.
They need a couple of Cason Wallaces, Julian Champagnies or Max Struses to go along with whatever “big swing” they make.
A starting level talent at the two or four could help both by pushing one of their current players to the bench, but the Pistons also need to load up on players they know they can count on in the playoffs.
Watching the Knicks, Spurs and OKC, it’s clear the Pistons need more ball handling and shooting, and not just in one spot. Trajan Langdon has the task of trying to get it without wrecking a team that isn’t that far away from being a contender but does have to improve.
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