Detroit Pistons: 3 Bold reasons why young Pistons will make the playoffs

An influx of young talent and an improved Cade Cunningham could have the Detroit Pistons vying for a playoff berth.

The Detroit Pistons won just 17 games last season posting the league’s worst record, and were among the league’s worst in many statistical categories. While all signs point to the 2023-24 season being very similar, there are ways the Pistons can take a bigger leap forward than many anticipate.

With an improved Cade Cunningham returning from injury, a plethora of young prospects, and a new head coach, the Pistons could find themselves in the hunt for a Play-in spot.

3 Reasons the Detroit Pistons can make a run at the NBA Playoffs

Monty Williams taking over as Pistons’ head coach

On June 2, Monty Williams was officially announced as the new head coach taking over for Dwayne Casey. Williams was the NBA Coach of the Year in 2021-22 and posted a 194-115 record in four seasons with Phoenix.

Williams has a history of vastly improving teams’ efficiency offensively and defensively. When he took over for the Suns in 2019, similar to the current Pistons, they were 28th and 29th in offensive and defensive efficiency respectively. The following season, they were 12th in offensive rating and 16th in defensive rating. In just one season, the Suns went from being one of the worst teams to a more average team that showed glimpses of being great after going 8-0 in the bubble.

Of course, the next season they go to the NBA Finals.

I wouldn’t anticipate that big of a jump, considering the Suns’ offseason acquisitions at the time. However, he has a group of young talented players like Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart, and Cade Cunningham to work with.

It’ll be a tall task but it’s possible that establishing a new philosophy and identity along with Williams’ 16 years of coaching experience can do wonders for a team that struggled on both ends.