Most Detroit Pistons fans would have been happy with 30 wins and modest improvement last season after suffering through the worst season in franchise history the year before. But now that the Pistons won 44 games and made the playoffs, there are expectations that success will continue.
44 wins is now the baseline for this young team to be considered a success, and if they fall short of that next season, some will deem it a failure. That may not be fair to a young team still building a winning culture, but success brings expectations.
The Pistons won’t be a feel-good story next season, fans will expect them to improve upon their win total and seeding in the Eastern Conference, especially now that the East is deemed “weak” because of key and unfortunate injuries to rivals Indiana and Boston.
Realistic fans don’t expect this team to be a title contender after just one playoff appearance, but they do demand sustained success, which will only come if they can answer their biggest questions.
The Detroit Pistons have to figure out who they are
The Pistons were the surprise team in the NBA last season and made an unexpected run to the playoffs, but they are still a team with big question marks.
Detroit lacked a consistent second scoring option in the playoffs, something they hope Jaden Ivey will remedy, but that is a question that must be answered next season. With Ivey due a contract extension, he has to prove he’s that guy or the Pistons may go in another direction.
There are still questions whether two non-shooters can co-exist in the starting five in Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson, though they quieted those concerns in the last two games in the playoffs.
long-termEven though the Pistons have continuity and a strong identity, they still have questions that need to be answered next season before they commit to this core long term.
Wins matter but so does establishing the long-term future of this roster, something the Pistons will have to start doing for real next offseason, especially if they allow both Duren and Ivey to play out the final years of their deals to hit restricted free agency.
It’s a strange position to be in, as the Pistons have playoff aspirations and are being picked as one of the top four teams in the East, yet are still somewhat in development and evaluation mode after Ivey missed most of last season.
They have to balance their desire to win and progress with the need to figure out their long-term roster.