5 Detroit Pistons trends to watch in the homestretch

The late-season injury brigade

Considering the Pistons were tanking in the last three seasons before this one, late-season injuries were to be expected, as they found ways to keep veterans out of the lineup in an effort to lose more games.

That's not what's happening now, which is even more concerning when you see the Pistons with five key players on the injury list.

The Pistons need as much data as possible on Simone Fontecchio and Quentin Grimes before making decisions about their futures this summer. Fontecchio has probably shown enough for a new contract, but Grimes has barely played and has been awful when he has.

The Pistons can't feel comfortable giving Grimes an extension until they see more of him, which means he may be playing out next year on an expiring deal for the Pistons.

The most frustrating thing about this season is that we still have no idea what this team has or how the parts fit, as we've barely seen them at full strength.

Outside of Cade Cunnigham and Jalen Duren, there isn't a guy who has a solid and identifiable role going forward. Is Ausar Thompson a starter? How about Isaiah Stewart? Is Simone Fontecchio a 6th man or starting wing? Can Quentin Grimes be effective with Cade? Can Marcus Sasser run the second unit?

The injuries won't help and will likely leave the Pistons with even more questions than they had when the season started.