Watch Out Next Year For The Young Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons last made the NBA playoffs in 2019, capping Dwane Casey's first year as head coach. In the years since, the Pistons immersed themselves in another rebuild: They traded that season's leading scorer (Blake Griffin) and the franchise's second-leading rebounder (Andre Drummond).
Now, no one remains from the roster general manager Troy Weaver inherited during the summer of 2020.
This season, Detroit will probably finish behind only the Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic for the worst record in the league. But the disappointing finish hasn't dulled the growing optimism for the franchise's long-term future. Its young core -- led by 2021 top overall pick Cade Cunningham -- has provided the promising upside Detroit has sought over the years.
Despite their overall struggles, the Pistons showed improvement after the All-Star break. Before an 18-point shellacking at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks on April 6, their net rating of +0.4, ranked ahead of several playoff-bound squads, including the Golden State Warriors (0.0), Mavericks (-0.3) and Chicago Bulls (-6.4). Years of roster shuffling seem to have positioned Detroit with relative stability as the team hones its identity. Its 22 starting lineups this season are the team's fewest since Casey's first year in the Motor City.
Over the season, the 2018 Coach of the Year has gotten strong contributions from his promising youngsters: Cunningham and 2020 first-round...