How far can the Detroit Pistons go in the 2021-2022 NBA season?
The 2021-2022 Detroit Pistons are still a rebuilding team, but they might be a shockingly fun watch throughout the season.
After having the second-worst record in the NBA last season, the Pistons won the 2021 NBA Lottery. They selected Cade Cunningham as the first overall pick, joining him with a young and exciting young core built in Detroit.
Saddiq Bey, Killian Hayes and Isaiah Stewart were drafted in the 2020 NBA draft and will likely start alongside Cunningham next season. The fifth starter will be Jerami Grant, who, at 27 years old, had his breakout season last year, averaging 22.3 points per game.
Saddiq Bey tonight:
28 PTS
12 REB
6 3PT
0 TOV
He’s had 2 games with 25+ points, 10+ rebounds, 5+ threes this season. No other Pistons rookie in franchise history had ever done it.
The rest of the roster will probably be in flux throughout the season as head coach Dwane Casey figures out what other young pieces will play a role in the coming years. Hamidou Diallo and Josh Jackson could be players who have an impact on the team throughout the season.
Predicting the Pistons Floor for the 2021-2022 NBA Season
After just winning 20 games last season, the floor of the Detroit Pistons is another year just around that number. Other than Cunningham, the team’s roster did not improve enough to be considered a playoff contender.
However, the Pistons might be an NBA superfan must-watch team and could upset teams who overlook them. Last season, the Pistons allowed the tenth fewest points per game in the NBA at 111.1. Their defense should only improve with Cunningham on the team and hopefully an entire season from Hayes.
Again, the offense should take a step forward with Cunningham now on the team and a healthy season with Hayes. The team will play a fast-paced offense and get the team out and running. Both Hayes and Cunningham can perform highlight passes that will highlight the NBA's Top 10 Play shows.
If Grant continues the way he played last season, some contending teams might be reaching out to see if he is available. It seems unlikely he will be traded, but he is on the older side of the roster and may be moved, for the right price, to make space for a younger player.
The bright side of still winning under 25 games would be that the Pistons will end up with higher lottery odds to add another young potential star to the roster.
Predicting the Pistons Ceiling for the 2021-2022 NBA Season
The 2021-2022 Detroit Pistons are still a long way from competing for even a play-in spot. If at the end of the season, the Pistons somehow found their way in the conversation in the last month of the season, that would be great news for Pistons fans.
Last season the Toronto Raptors were just five games out of a play-in spot at the end of the season with 27 wins. Just to be mentioned in the conversation late in the season would be an improvement over the last few seasons.
As mentioned in the floor section, the Pistons' defense was good last season and should only get better. The offense should also see an improvement. The team has young talent and can beat some of the middle of the pack if they don't take the Pistons seriously. The Pistons could sneak some wins on unexpecting teams.
No. 1 pick CADE CUNNINGHAM in his Summer League debut:
12 PTS, 6 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL, 2 BLK, 2 3PT in 26 MINS
https://t.co/0ybL24ggvM
Winning over 25 games and being in the final play-in spot bubble would be a massive momentum builder for next season. To see the Pistons start moving forward would be great for the fan base.
Realistic Prediction for the Pistons 2021-2022 NBA Season
There should be some on-court improvement for the Detroit Pistons, but that is not likely to show in the standings. Four out of the five projected starters have at most had one complete season in the NBA, so just getting these players NBA minutes is a win. Ultimately, the team is not expecting to make a massive impact this season, so it would be a great surprise if they do. If they don’t, the team gets a higher draft pick, which is also a plus.