Coming into last season, the Detroit Pistons were expected to make moderate gains in the standings, with most pundits picking them to finish with around the same win total.
After a 44 win season, the Pistons added Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert, while losing key veterans in Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. Most saw this as a wash and thought the Pistons would finish 5th or 6th, if not lower, in the East.
Teams like Orlando and Atlanta made splahier additions and it looked as though the Pistons may not have kept pace after their surprise season.
If this all sounds familiar, it's because the exact same narrative is playing out this offseason, as a revamped Eastern Conference will once again see the Pistons underestimated in preseason predictions.
The Eastern Conference is better on paper but so are the Pistons
It's always difficult to know which offseason additions will actually work out, but it does appear as though the Eastern Conference will be stronger, at least on paper.
Tyrese Haliburton will be back for the Indiana Pacers, who also added Zubac at center, so they should be right back in the mix as long as Haliburton stays healthy. The Pistons have to play the Pacers four times next season. Detroit crushed Indiana last season and went 4-0, but it won't be as easy next year.
The New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers have kept their teams together and will again be formidable. The Cavs may still be landing LeBron, which also applies to a few other teams on this list.
The Raptors have swapped out Brandon Ingram for Kawhi Leonard (pending), which is a boom or bust move, as Leonard is a clear upgrade but is a walking injury concern, and this trade may not happen anyway, so it's premature to think the Raptors have drastically improved.
The Heat added Giannis, but this will be a work in progress, as the team around he and Bam Adebayo isn't very good and lost a lot of its depth in the trade. They are also a possibility for LeBron, so I'm sure Miami isn't finished.
The 76ers are another big wild card, as they got a lot better on paper with Jaylen Brown, but will still be counting on Joel Embiid to stay somewhat healthy, which is always a risk. But they should be better either way and are a legit threat with Brown, Maxey and Edgecombe.
The Hawks have bolstered their defense and look like they could challenge the Pistons for the top defense in the conference.
Even the teams at the bottom will be better, as the Wizards suddenly have an intriguing mix of veterans and young talent and could be a surprise play-in contender next year at least.
So don't be surprised if we once again see the Pistons picked to finish in the middle of the pack, even after steamrolling the East last season and improving their 3-point shooting. But the Pistons have one thing that none of those teams do, which is Cade Cunningham, who is arguably the first or second best player in the East.
Detroit will lean on continuity that none of these teams have, but will again be overlooked, which is a good thing, as the Pistons thrive on being underdogs.
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