The Detroit Pistons have 24 games remaining to make something positive out of what has been another lost season.
They are on a path to the worst record in franchise history, so this season will live in infamy unless the Pistons go on a big run in the home stretch.
But they have things to play for other than just wins and losses, which are meaningless at this point except when it comes to lottery position.
Detroit Pistons' remaining schedule
The Pistons' remaining 24 games are split evenly between the home and the road, so fans will have 12 more opportunities to catch them at Little Caesar's Arena.
I would deem 10 of their remaining games winnable against the Nets, Hornets, Raptors, Wizards, Grizzlies (x2), Hawks, Nets, Bulls and Spurs, though obviously none of these are given and the Pistons certainly won't win them all.
That leaves 14 games against teams above .500 who are at least in the play-in picture in the Cavaliers, Magic, Heat (x3), Mavs (x2), Celtics (x2), Pacers, Pelicans, Knicks, Timberwolves and 76ers. The Pistons could certainly win a few of these, but they will be underdogs to do so.
While wins and losses may not matter, there are other things to play for.
The Pistons are still developing young players
You may not know it by the way Monty Williams has used his rotation this season, but the Pistons are still very young, so every developmental minute counts.
They need to play the Core Four with Simone Fontecchio, Isaiah Stewart, Marcus Sasser and Quentin Grimes as much as possible, as these are the guys who will make up the bulk of their roster next season.
Monty needs to get Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey as much time together as possible, but also stagger them so that Ivey gets some time as the primary ballhandler, though I wouldn't hold my breath on that happening.
He needs to work some of the recently signed G-League players into the mix, getting them spot minutes to see if there are any keepers.
The team needs to start building some chemistry and momentum for next season so that they aren't starting from scratch again, which will already be happening on some level, as there will likely be at least six new faces on the roster. They need some continuity and familiarity, which starts with shortening the rotation and giving heavy minutes to the players who are signed for next season.
The Detroit Pistons are playing for jobs
Evan Fournier, James Wiseman, Shake Milton, Troy Brown Jr., Malachi Flynn and Simone Fontecchio are all on some form of expiring contract and hope to show they belong with the Pistons or some other NBA team.
The Pistons' front office and coaching staff are also being judged.
If the Pistons bomb these last 24 games, that could push Tom Gores to fire Troy Weaver, or maybe even Monty Williams, especially if the team doesn't put up much of a fight.
If Monty loses the lockerroom completely and we see a lot of bickering and finger-pointing, the Pistons may have to eat a lot of money and move on, though I don't expect those things to happen.
Weaver's seat is much hotter, as he built this roster and then overhauled it at the deadline, so he needs them to stack some wins to keep his job secure.
They aren't playing for the playoffs, but there are reasons for the Detroit Pistons to show up and we can still learn a lot about this team in their final 24 games.