Detroit Pistons
The Pistons were knocked out of the playoffs by the Cavaliers in four games, and they really never stood a chance. For the Pistons to gain ground in the East, they will need to deepen their bench. This was their bench unit in the playoffs:
This is not the second team for any top-tier NBA team. The only players on this list with an ever-increasing upside is Stanley Johnson.
The other roles could be filled by quality NBA vets that will be becoming unrestricted free agents soon. Names such as Zaza Pachulia, Anderson Varejao, Jeff Green, Luol Deng, and others could help cement this team into a top four team in the East.
Their starting potential is there; now it just needs to continue to develop, and this team could be one of the most feared teams behind Andre Drummond.
Just a side note: they need to protect the rim better because they averaged the least blocks per game in the NBA this season. For a team that has Drummond, that shouldn’t be the case.
Next: Houston Rockets