Perhaps the most excited fan base for this off season is that of the Detroit Pistons. After years of struggling, the Pistons were fortunate to land the no.1 pick in the 2021 NBA draft. All indications are that the Pistons intend to use their draft pick, selecting Cade Cunningham a 6’8 point guard out of Oklahoma State. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the Detroit Pistons’ analysis and needs.
The 2020-2021 Detroit Pistons analysis:
Let’s start by recapping the Pistons’ 2020-2021 NBA season.
What the Pistons did well:
Their tanking earned them the no.1 pick in the 2021 NBA draft. They moved on from several veterans. That’s about it.
What the Pistons did not well:
The Pistons were a very tough to watch team last season. Aside from beating up on my Celtics, they did very little well. They finished 26th in OFF RTG & 19th in DEF RTG. They finished with the worst record in the NBA, and the second worst record in the NBA.
On paper, the Pistons did very little well. Injuries made it even more difficult for them to get anything going.
The Detroit Pistons’ 2021-2022 salary cap situation.
The NBA has projected the salary cap for the 2021-2022 season to be $112 million with the luxury tax line set at $136.6 million. We’ll know more for certain in the coming weeks. The Pistons’ cap situation is a bit complicated, as they technically still have Blake Griffin on the books for this upcoming season.
Due to their cap holds and dead money. the Detroit Pistons are about -$26 million against the cap.
Long story short, the Pistons’ cap situation is not a great one this summer. This is a year the Detroit Pistons will focus on developing their young talent.
Detroit Pistons’ 2021 draft picks.
As it stands today, the Detroit Pistons have one first round draft pick, and three second round draft picks. When you consider their current cap situation, not having to guarantee roster spots and salaries to multiple first rounders may end up being a good thing.
The 2021-2022 Detroit Pistons needs.
First, let’s examine their roster.
The Pistons are most likely going to build around Jerami Grant, who is ranked as a top 15 power forward on Per Sources’ top 30 power forwards list from last summer. He chose to leave Denver Nuggets for an opportunity to lead his own team. The Pistons are hoping that with the addition of Cade Cunningham to their previous draft picks of Killian Hayes and Saddiq Bey, they will have a respectable young core to develop and build around.
Bey showed tremendous potential last season. Unfortunately, we did not get to see much of Hayes due to injury. Hopefully we get to see them all play together this season.
To the naked eye, NBA fans may suggest that the Pistons need a center. I truly hope that Pistons fans are smart enough to be content with Masom Plumlee. If anyone should know why you don’t necessarily need a star center in the NBA, it should be Pistons fans.
Their actual needs.
The Pistons’ roster suggests very few needs for their realistic goals. Their primary goal should be to figure out which of these young players are actually a part of the future. Their secondary goal should be to determine whether they can build around Cunningham and Grant, or if they need to trade Grant for assets that align with their young core’s age timeline.
I would not be surprised if the Pistons ultimately end up moving Grant at this point in the next calendar year, especially if Cunningham needs time to develop.
The needs listed above are assuming that Cunningham is the sure pick that everyone says he is. Their next decade depends on getting this year’s draft right.
How good can the Detroit Pistons be during the 2021-2022 season?
The Pistons’ success relies on three critical things, their internal goals, their health, and whether or not Cunningham can have an immediate impact as a rookie.
We’ve seen how NBA ready rookies can impact franchises. It’s very realistic that the Pistons can compete for a play-in spot, similar to how Charlotte was able to this season.
Although I believe that they’re probably at least a couple years away from competing for a playoff spot, it is possible that they can compete for one this season. A lot would have to go their way, but it is possible.
Care to debate my Detroit Pistons analysis and needs? How good do you think they can be? Tweet me at @TPRx11.