Major Offseason Additions
Dwane Casey (Head Coach, replaces Stan Van Gundy)
Glen Robinson III (G/F, one-year, $4.075 million with a team option)
Zaza Pachulia (C, one-year, $2.39 million)
Khyri Thomas (G, second-round pick from Creighton)
Bruce Brown (G, second-round pick from Miami (FL))
Jose Calderon (PG, one-year, $2.39 million)
Major Offseason Losses
Anthony Tolliver (F, Minnesota Timberwolves)
The Pistons are bucking the wing-heavy trend being set around the NBA by stocking their frontcourt with two top-tier players in Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin. The 6-foot-11 Drummond is established as one of the top centers in the NBA, an elite rebounder who also appears to be growing his outside shooting presence. Griffin, who was acquired last season from the Clippers, is an inside-outside threat who possesses excellent passing and playmaking skills. He is known for ferocious dunking but is underrated as a shooter and provides some spacing for a Pistons roster that certainly needs it. A full season of Griffin should benefit the Pistons in many different ways.
While the frontcourt is set in stone, the backcourt has more possibilities. The shooting-guard position has numerous players who could fill the spot, including last year’s first-round pick Luke Kennard. Talented-but-flawed Stanley Johnson will be in play too, as will the vastly underrated Reggie Bullock and newcomer Glenn Robinson III. Kennard offers the most upside, given his shooting prowess, but he may be the best option because his competition is better used elsewhere. Bullock and Robinson project better as small forwards, and Stanley Johnson is not established anywhere. Johnson, another former first-round pick, is at a critical juncture in his career and needs to perform on the court. He has the backing of his new head coach, but the 22-year-old still leaves a lot to be desired on the offensive end of the floor.
Bullock was great last season and a dark horse candidate for last year’s Most Improved Player award. Seriously. The 6-foot-7 forward exploded, averaging 11.3 points per game while shooting a blazing 48.9 percent from the floor and 44.5 percent from behind the arc (all career-highs). Last season, he provided much-needed perimeter shooting and spacing to a lineup anchored by two bigs. His 60.3 effective-field-goal percentage was ninth-best in the NBA of all forwards who played at least 50 games. Whether or not he starts, Bullock will be a critical component to the roster, and him continuing to evolve his game will be needed.
Robinson III, who played collegiately at the University of Michigan, will be an interesting wrinkle in the lineup. He appeared poised to break out last season for the Indiana Pacers but suffered a leg injury and missed nearly all of 2017-18. He has the tools to be the starting small forward as an athletic wing who could bring some burst off the dribble. He shot 46.7 percent from the floor and 39.2 percent from beyond the 3-point line in 2016.
Detroit had no first-round pick in this year’s draft, but they made some smart selections in the second round. Khyri Thomas and Bruce Brown were borderline first-round talents who slipped due to other circumstances (for Brown, it was because of injury). They looked competent in NBA Summer League and were tried out at different positions to see what sort of lineup flexibility is possible. Given the underwhelming point-guard situation, if an injury were to occur, Brown, in particular, could be an option to absorb some minutes. It is rare for second-round picks to come in and make an immediate impact, but this seems like a possibility.
The biggest and largest question mark is the same one as last season, and the one before: Reggie Jackson. And really, injuries in general. The oft-injured point guard is easily the starter when healthy, no question. His pick-and-roll game with Drummond was lethal a few years ago, and his ability to get to the rim and keep defenses off balance is very important. Detroit was 12-25 last year without Jackson and 27-18 with him. Ankle and knee problems have hampered him for the last two seasons, and the Pistons have suffered as a result. How far Detroit goes this season will largely depend on the health of its roster, though Reggie Jackson may be the most important cog in the machine.
Letting Anthony Tolliver go was, perhaps, one of the few mistakes the Pistons made this offseason. A stretch-four, Tolliver started several games last year in Griffin’s place and filled in admirably. This year, Detroit is stuck with Jon Leuer or Henry Ellenson as traditional power forwards – neither of which are exactly enticing. Leuer has not been healthy seemingly since he signed with Detroit and is unreliable to play heavy minutes as a starter. Ellenson looked outmatched in Summer League, especially as a former first-round pick. The point-guard position without Jackson has been a nightmare for the Pistons, and they did not do too much to correct that. Ish Smith plays a fun but reckless style. Jose Calderon is a grizzled vet who actually played well for the Cleveland Cavaliers last season but is old and very limited defensively. Hopefully, Detroit does not have to rely on them too much, but given the injury history, the Pistons will be forced to do just that for stretches of the season.
Detroit’s biggest acquisition this offseason was, without a doubt, Dwane Casey. The reigning Coach of the Year helped rebuild the Toronto Raptors from a cellar-dweller to one of the top regular-season teams in the NBA. The playoffs have been a different story, but Casey will not have to try and gameplan against LeBron James anymore. He brings a fresh perspective on how to manage a team and has been one of the most successful coaches over the past four seasons. His impact should be seen immediately.
The Pistons are not as talented as some of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. Boston, Toronto, and Philadelphia all are more well-rounded. But, given all of the talk of those other teams, Detroit has become underrated. We are not so far-removed from Blake Griffin being one of the most exciting players in the league, yet he has become an afterthought. We have forgotten what a healthy Reggie Jackson is like and how effective he could be with this roster. The possibilities are tantalizing. However, injuries have derailed this team many times over the past several seasons. The ceiling for Detroit may be the fourth seed in the Conference, but the Pistons are as well-rounded as they have been over the last several seasons.
