Next Season
It’s been a rough 15 months for the Detroit Pistons and they face many more obstacles this upcoming season. Yes they are in the East, but that doesn’t mean they will make the playoffs. At this point Cleveland, Boston, Washington, Toronto, Milwaukee, Miami, Charlotte and Philadelphia look ahead of Detroit. On the bright side, they are better than the terrible teams like Atlanta, Chicago, Indiana, Brooklyn and New York. Detroit and Orlando will likely be in the middle fighting for the eight seed. The talent is there to make the playoffs, but a lot has to go right.
It falls on their stars. Jackson and Drummond simply have to bounce back. Drummond’s motor needs to be running all game. Jackson needs to work on his efficiency from deep, and pass more. If they play like two years ago, Detroit could be back on track, if they don’t Detroit should look to move them at the deadline. That would mean starting over most likely, but it’s better than being stuck in the middle with underachieving players.
Bradley will offer better outside shooting and defense at the two spot. That will help. He is also a tough veteran who can bring more stability to the locker room. The big question is can Stanley Johnson take a big step forward. Detroit should start him. They need to find out what they have and he at least has great defensive potential. At the 4 Harris needs to work on his outside shooting, and rim protection, but I think it’s his best place.
Must Read: Why the Suns, Bucks, and Nuggets shouldn’t trade for Kyrie Irving
Right now, Stan Van Gundy doesn’t have the team he envisioned. If things go south early, major changes are needed.