Detroit Pistons: Is there a glimmer of playoff hope?

Although the Detroit Pistons are just 10-14 this season, they’re playing better basketball as of late

After getting off to a 2-6 start to begin the 2019-20 campaign, the Detroit Pistons have somewhat turned things around lately, winning their last four of five contests, including victories over a solid Indiana Pacers team and blowing out the San Antonio Spurs. Blake Griffin missed the first 10 games of the season and that definitely hurt the team, going 4-6 in his absence.

Since he’s returned, they’re playing .500 basketball, but their nightly performances have had many positives. They have put up 100+ points in their last eight games, even though they haven’t played the toughest of opponents. But where they rank in the NBA in certain offensive categories should be noticed.

Dwane Casey’s team currently has an offensive rating of 110.5, which is 9th in the entire NBA. They’re also first in the entire league with a stellar 39.2 3-point percentage, while also shooting 47 percent from the field, sixth in the NBA. The Pistons also have the best effective field goal percentage in the league at 59.2 percent. This is an extremely important stat that combines how consistent a team is from the field, combining 2-point and 3-point attempts.

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From Derrick Rose to the NBA’s leading rebounder Andre Drummond, this team has a lot of talent. It’s simply a case of them all coming to play each night and doing their part.

A solid starting five

Their starting lineup of Blake Griffin, Tony Snell, Andre Drummond, Luke Kennard, and Bruce Brown Jr has been relatively consistent this year, but their bench has also played a crucial part in their success. Griffin leads the team 18.2 points per night as expected, while Drummond isn’t far behind with 17.5 points and a beastly 16.7 boards. These two are both very imposing figures in the paint for the Pistons and have done a really good job on both ends of the court this year.

Tony Snell and Bruce Brown Jr are both averaging less than ten points a game, so Detroit could really use more production from these two. Shooting guard Luke Kennard however, has been very efficient. The former Duke standout is putting up 16.3 points per contest while also dishing out 4.2 assists per game, second-most on the team. Kennard is a huge reason for Detroit’s impressive shooting percentage from downtown, shooting 39.9 percent on 6.4 attempts per contest.

Their bench is playing their part

Detroit currently sits behind only the Los Angeles Clippers for the most points by a second unit, scoring 45.8 per night. Derrick Rose is leading the pack for Dwane Casey, dropping 16.8 points off the bench in 23.7 minutes per game. After many years, it looks like Rose is starting to find his old self who was once one of the most elite players in the NBA.

The 31-year-old has also handed out a team-leading 5.8 assists. He was absolutely clutch on Monday night, hitting a game-winner with just seconds left to sink the New Orleans Pelicans. Langston Galloway has also been solid off the bench, sinking 12.4 points per night. Markieff Morris and Christian Wood are also contributing, putting up around 10 points each per contest.

Need to put up results against elite teams

The Pistons haven’t had the toughest schedule as of late, playing relatively weak teams like the Pelicans, Spurs, Hornets, and Cavaliers. Their next six of 10 games are against very good teams, with the likes of the Raptors, Celtics, Mavericks, and 76ers ahead on the schedule.

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There’s no doubting that this team has talent. They have shown the ability to blowout weak opponents, but these next handful of games are really going to speak to the character of this team. Do they have what it takes to contest with some of the best teams in the league? Only time will tell. If they can put up a good fight against teams like Philly and Toronto, they’re going to make people believe that they really can sneak in as an eight seed come playoff time.

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