2024-25 NBA Season Preview: Detroit Pistons

2024-25 NBA Season Preview: Detroit Pistons

The 2024-25 NBA Season is nearly here. The Vendetta Sports Media season previews move forward with the Detroit Pistons. Let’s take a dive into the Pistons’ upcoming season.

What Happened Last Year?

The Pistons 2023-24 NBA Season was a horrid 82 basketball games. Detroit finished the year with a league-worst 14-68 record. That included a 28-losing streak that set the record for the most consecutive losses in a single season. The worst part is they were not even trying to tank. The goal was to make meaningful progress and work closer to a play-in spot. That was not close to happening.

Offseason Recap:

The Pistons understandably made serious changes after the last season. Detroit cleaned house as they fired general manager Troy Weaver and head coach Monty Williams. The team hired Trajan Langdon to serve as the President of Basketball Operations while J.B. Bickerstaff took over coaching responsibilities.

In terms of player movement, the goal of the offseason was to add veterans. The headline of that effort was signing Tobias Harris to a two-year contract. Detroit also swapped Quinten Grimes for Tim Hardaway Jr and a trio of third-round picks. The final addition with serious impact is the signing of Malik Beasley. The biggest themes in the Pistons’ offseason moves are experience and shooting. The team desperately needed veteran leadership and spacing. The front office addressed those concerns to an extent.

Projected Starting 5:

Cade Cunningham, G – Cunningham is coming off a promising season that saw him finish with 22.7 points per game and 7.5 assists per game. Those are both career highs. At the moment, Cunningham is an impressive young talent. If he can take strides in shooting efficiency and turnovers, he can become an All-Star caliber player. It would not hurt to see defensive strides, either.

Jaden Ivey, G – Ivey will benefit the most from the Pistons’ coaching change. It looks like Bickerstaff will be giving Ivey more opportunities than Williams did a year ago. In those opportunities, Ivey needs to continue learning how to control his tempo. In addition, Detroit will be in a sensational position if Ivey can help space the floor and consistently hit open threes. Plus, he could make an impact as the team’s primary initiator while Cunningham is off the floor.

Simone Fontecchio, F – Fontecchio made a positive impact in his 16 games in Detroit. As a Piston, he shot 42.6 percent from deep which raised his season percentage to 40.1 percent. That played a role in the organization re-signing him in the offseason. It was the correct decision considering his combination of solid shooting and respectable defense. It makes him a solid player to help fill out the lineup.

Tobias Harris, F – Harris was the Pistons’ premier offseason acquisition. The veteran had his fair share of issues in Philadelphia considering his salary and role; however, his skills are much better off on a team that would be thrilled with a play-in appearance. In Detroit, Harris will serve as a modern four-man with floor spacing capabilities. That simply hasn’t been the case for the Pistons in many years.

Jalen Duren, C – It should not be a surprise to anyone, but Duren is the young Pistons center to separate himself from the rest of the bunch. That has largely been accomplished with his ridiculous rebounding skills. On top of that, he has shown to be a threat as a roller with a touch of offensive playmaking. A year-three breakout would largely be a result of improved defense.

Notable Reserves:

Isaiah Stewart, C- Stewart is set to play in a much more reasonable role this season. Previously, Detroit experimented with using Stewart as a power forward. That did not work; however, this forced him to grow in a multitude of areas and made him an appealing big off the bench. The most obvious of those improvements came in his 3-point shooting. Stewart shot 38.3 percent from deep on 3.8 attempts per game. That is a solid number for a floor-spacing backup big.

Ausar Thompson, F- Thompson is currently dealing with blood clotting and is out indefinitely. The Pistons would love to get their second-year forward back to the court. The team has a lot of defensive issues with Thompson, but without him the concern spikes. As a rookie, Thompson proved to be the team’s best perimeter defender while getting stocks and rebounds.

Malik Beasley, G- The entire point of signing Beasley is to add floor spacing. The Pistons will likely be staggering Cunningham and Ivey’s minutes. That gives Beasley a chance to play next to the young guards. In either situation, the team will want spacing from the other guard spot. Beasley is a career 38.5 percent shooter from three. It would be great to see him finish above 40 percent for the fourth time in his career, but I’m sure they would settle for his career average.

Tim Hardaway, G- Hardaway is in a very similar position to Beasley. This is a team that desperately needed shooting help. That is what he will be tasked with. If Hardway can simply help space the floor, the Pistons will get their money’s worth.

Biggest X-Factor: Floor Spacing

The words “spacing” and “3-point shooting” have been a consistent theme throughout the Detroit Pistons’ season preview. In the 2023-24 season, the offense routinely faces significant issues because of its spacing problem. The Pistons finished with a 34.8 3-point percentage while only averaging 31.7 attempts per game. That puts them bottom five in both statistics. This is catastrophic as it limits their offensive upside, but it also allows the defense to relentlessly pressure ball handlers without the fear of giving up open threes. A portion of Cunningham’s turnover struggles were a result of defenses collapsing on him. If the Pistons’ can hit shots and force defenders to respect them at the perimeter, Cunningham and Ivey should have better driving lines and create more shots for themselves and others.

It should go without saying, but the Pistons young core needs to make strides. Cunningham, Ivey, Duren, and Thompson all have a list of areas where they could improve. It will always be crucial to see how they grow in those areas.

Season Projection: Play-In Contender

In the Eastern Conference, the line between contending for the Play-in Tournament and tanking for Cooper Flagg is thin. I doubt the Pistons will purposefully tank considering they have been at the bottom of the league for several years. That makes them a Play-In Tournament contender.

The Pistons’ roster is also in much better shape. In the offseason, the team received an influx of shooters and veterans. Plus, Detroit has a head coach who wants to be an NBA coach. No disrespect to Williams, he declined multiple offers until he was given one he could not refuse. Regardless, Bickerstaff has a more logical roster while showing a better understanding of how to utilize the team’s young talent.

Ultimately, the Pistons are trending toward being in the conversation to make the Play-In Tournament. The deciding factors on whether they can reach that goal are floor spacing and youth development.

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