GM: Jeff Bower
Head coach: Stan Van Gundy
2016-17 record: 37-45 (10th in the Eastern Conference)
2016-17 result: Didn’t make the playoffs
Key departures: Marcus Morris, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Aron Baynes
Key acquisitions: Avery Bradley, Luke Kennard
The Detroit Pistons took a step back last season, falling out of the playoff picture just one year after ending a six-year post-season drought.
With a young bunch headlined by Andre Drummond, Tobias Harris, Reggie Jackson and Stanley Johnson, the Pistons don’t need to press the panic button just yet. But Stan Van Gundy’s dual position as both president of basketball operations and head coach could be in jeopardy if they aren’t able to regain their footing in 2017-18.
Over the offseason, they traded one of their most versatile pieces in Marcus Morris, but were able to get soon-to-be free agent Avery Bradley in return from Boston. Bradley’s experience in a winning culture should help, but he’ll also replace Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, as the team’s go-to defender.
With young talent across all five positions, it’s too early to write the Pistons off as they try to bring a sense of life to their new home, Little Caesars Arena, in downtown Detroit.
Potential Breakout
Avery Bradley got snubbed last season, not making any of the league’s All-Defensive teams. Now in a contract year on a team in need of a boost, Bradley could surprise everyone on his way to becoming an all-star candidate.
While his defence has come to define him, and rightfully so, he was also the second-leading scorer on a Celtics team that secured the East’s first seed in 2016-17. His career-highs of 16.3 points on 39 per cent shooting from three-point distance were reached on just 14.1 shots a game, and could take another leap forward with a bigger role in Detroit.
While the Pistons have been known to equally distribute their touches, a player like Bradley will provide some much needed experience and grit to a team that’s looking to get back in the playoff picture. If he can average 20 points a game and maintain his strong defence, he’ll be a candidate for a max contract come the summer of 2018.
What a successful 2017-18 would look like
The Pistons need to have one goal in mind for a successful year, and that’s to return to the playoffs.
Putting up more points on the board will have to be their biggest area of focus, after finishing fifth-last in the league in points per game, and third-last in three-point percentage. Adding a shooter like Bradley will help, and so will drafting Luke Kennard, if they plan on continuing to use a one-in, four-out system with Andre Drummond.
X-factor
Reggie Jackson was the biggest reason why the Pistons were able to end their six-year playoff drought in 2016. He’s also the biggest reason why they weren’t able to return in 2017, after missing 30 games while disrupting the team’s flow upon his return.
If they’re going to return to the postseason, Jackson will have to lead them behind the same tenacity he developed from his days as an outcast in Oklahoma City. It looks like he’s already on his way, after Stan Van Gundy said that Jackson took on a leadership role in the off-season.
On the court, the six-foot-three point guard will need to bounce back after watching his averages for field goal percentage, assists and points all drop in 2016-17. This year, he’ll need to return to being a fringe 20-point per game scorer, and alongside Avery Bradley should be able to form one of the most tough nosed combo guard pairings in the league.
