The Detroit Pistons should be watching the NBA Finals and asking themselves, why not us?
The Indiana Pacers shocked the OKC Thunder with a buzzer beater to take game one after storming back from a big deficit, which they have been doing for the entire playoffs.
The series is far from over, but the Pacers are giving teams like the Pistons hope that they too have a chance at a title if things break the right way.
The Pistons were 1-3 against the Pacers this season but two of the losses were close and decided in the final possessions.
Watching the head-to-head matchups, the two teams were close, but you did get the sense the Pacers were a year or two ahead in both depth of talent and experience.
But did anyone watch those games against Indiana and think they were a vastly superior team? I certainly didn’t. They went toe-to-toe in all four games, and with another offseason of development and the right additions, these matchups are going to get even more heated.
The point is that NBA fans should be excited about the parity that will bring us a 7th different champion in seven years, and with the right moves, the Pistons could be right there as soon as next season.
Detroit Pistons: The 2nd star and more shooting
The Pistons need a player other than Cade Cunningham who can create and get his own shot, something that became painfully obvious in the playoffs when the Knicks just trapped Cade every time he touched the ball.
Jaden Ivey could be that guy, and he’ll get his chance when he returns next season, and in the best-case scenario he keeps improving and becomes that 20+ppg scorer the Pistons need.
The Pacers have also shown how important 3-point shooting is, as it has kept them in games and allowed them to make up big deficits quickly. They are on pace to have six players shoot above 40 percent for the playoffs, a number the Pistons should consider when looking for offseason additions.
Bringing back Malik Beasley will be a priority, but the Pistons need more shooting and size off their bench. It’s possible Isaiah Stewart will launch a few more next season, something he’s shown he can do, which would be a big help here.
Detroit was middle of the pack in 3-point shooting this season, an improvement, but still not enough, so shooting should be a priority when evaluating possible trades and free agents.
The age of the super team is over, the Eastern Conference is wide open, and if the Detroit Pistons play this right, they can emulate what the Pacers have done and compete for titles sooner than people expect.