This season was not supposed to be this way for the Detroit Pistons.
We were promised a competitive team and instead got one of the worst in NBA history with a 28-game losing streak to bolster their resume for that dubious honor.
With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, there is some hope for change on the horizon, but that should be tempered by the lack of assets or realistic impact trade targets.
The Pistons aren't going to salvage this season either way, but they can start building towards the next one (sigh), a refrain that's starting to sound like "Wait until next year!" did for the Chicago Cubs for over a century.
But there are still things fans would like to see (I can't speak for all of them) and things we definitely don't want to see as this season mercifully gets closer to its completion.
The Detroit Pistons' offense
Want to see: More ball movement
We heard all about Monty Williams' .5 offense all summer, but have seen painfully little of it this season. The Pistons are middle of the pack in assists, so they do share the ball, but are often confined to watching Cade Cunningham dribble in the half-court.
They had their best game of the season against the OKC Thunder with Cade out, and the ball and players were moving more freely. Let's see more of that.
Don't want to see: Cade Cunningham dribbling for 20 seconds
Cade plays a patient, smart game but the whole offense doesn't have to revolve around just him. I absolutely hate watching Cade dribble, go under the hoop and emerge on the other side while everyone stands around.
He can be just as effective giving up the ball early, running a real offense and attacking when he gets it later in the possession, hopefully in a better spot to make his move. Otherwise, the Pistons are very easy to defend in the half-court. I'd love to see more of Cade on the wing the way theCeltics use Jayson Tatum.