The Detroit Pistons have been the worst team in the NBA over the last five seasons, a fact fans know all too well.
A regime change in the front office, new coaching staff and revamped roster have sparked some hope, but expectations are still low in Detroit.
I recently asked readers how many wins the Pistons would need to have for this season to be considered a success and the average was around 30, which shows you exactly where we are.
Sadly, 30 wins would more than double their win total from last season, so even though it would still be bad, at least the team would be headed in the right direction.
The question is whether the roster will be allowed to see it through or if the Pistons will fall back on their familiar strategy of tanking down the stretch to improve their draft odds.
One publication thinks we’ll be seeing more of the tank.
Will the Detroit Pistons tank again?
A recent article in HoopsHype gave a season preview of the Pistons and had this to say about one possible future:
“While the Pistons will be more competitive in the first half of the season, the expectation is that they’ll shift focus to securing a better draft position after the All-Star break. This move will likely make their overall winning percentage look worse than their performance through the first 60 games, masking the progress made on the court.”
The Pistons’ 2025 draft pick is protected 1-13, so there is some motivation to end up there considering next year’s draft has more potential star power at the top.
Fans understand this, but that doesn’t mean we have to like it. If the Pistons are competitive for the first 60 games, then why tank? This will, of course, depend on your definition of “competitive” but if the Pistons have something to play for at the trade deadline, I’d far rather let them see it through and get some valuable reps for their young players than to intentionally lose games again for the sake of a few percentage points.
It’s a tricky balancing act for Trajan Langdon, who surely wants to change the culture of losing in Detroit, but also wants to build a sustainable roster through the draft and might like one more shot at it before he builds up this roster for real.
Pistons fans have been patient, and will continue to be if we feel the franchise is going in the right direction, but at some point, these players have to win and to play games that have meaning if they are going to truly grow.