(Photo by Keith Allison)
The Detroit Pistons are 32-39 and 5.5 games behind the Milwaukee Bucks for 8th in the Eastern Conference. According to FiveThirtyEight, the Pistons have a mere 2% chance of making the playoffs. Meanwhile, there is serious competition for seeding in both conferences and it seems ever more-likely that the reigning Golden State Warriors will finish second in the West. So why spare a thought for the lowly Detroit Pistons?
To begin the season, the Pistons were as high as fourth in the Eastern Conference and remained competitive through midseason. However, a combination of injuries and poor play has spelled the end of their prospects this year. The highlight of the Pistons season, and the reason for this article, is their blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Clippers to acquire star forward Blake Griffin (and his massive contract) in a deal headlined by Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, and a first round draft pick. Since the trade, the Pistons are hovering right around .500, and the team is clearly still adjusting.
What’s interesting about the Pistons is that they are reminiscent of last year’s New Orleans Pelicans, who traded for DeMarcus Cousins to pair with Anthony Davis and then struggled to the finish, only to come out strong this year and look poised for a top five seed until Cousins went down with a torn ACL. Both teams are constructed similarly around two star big men playing center and forward: Cousins and Davis in New Orleans, Griffin and Andre Drummond in Detroit. The Pistons, in making the move for Griffin, are betting on a core that is different than the rest of the Eastern Conference, which doesn’t feature another team built around those positions. It’s never too early to start thinking about next year, and if the chemistry forms, the last games of this season could be the prelude to an exciting Pistons resurgence next year, so keep an eye out.
(Standings and records from NBA.com, FiveThirtyEight predictions via fivethirtyeight.com)
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