2024-25 Detroit Pistons

[401don]

Ausar Thompson has finally been cleared to return to the Pistons. Hopefully, he doesn't have a recurrence of these blood clots or his career may be over. He will need a couple of weeks to ramp up but it will be interesting to see what they do with Holland. These guys are very similar. Small forwards with no jump shot. Thompson is better defensively and Holland a little better offensively. If they can't find a way to give both minutes then Holland needs to go to the G league for a while rather than ride the bench. Meanwhile the team is much improved this year. The veterans they added have clearly helped but both Cunningham and Ivey are playing better also. They are using their skill sets and not taking as many 3's. Still, the team could have a couple more wins if they would just stop turning the ball over and hit their free throws.

[Lowell]

^Agree with all. I really like the return of Tobias Harris.

[DetroitSoldier]

Tonight's game ended with a blown 12 point lead, a last second OT allyoop to tie it, and a win on a Chris Weber style technical foul call.

A little lucky, but a good win against a conference foe in a cup game at home. Good way to lead into a road trip.

[sirrealone]

There isn't a big enough lead in the 4th quarter that is ever safe with this team.

I guess it's a step in the right direction that they're now able to win some of the games when they blow the lead. They tried like hell last night, but Miami kept letting the Pistons hang around. The technical foul was the big story, but the play that led to it, Cade's inbound pass to Duren for the dunk, was a thing of beauty.

[401don]

There isn't a big enough lead in the 4th quarter that is ever safe with this team.

I guess it's a step in the right direction that they're now able to win some of the games when they blow the lead. They tried like hell last night, but Miami kept letting the Pistons hang around. The technical foul was the big story, but the play that led to it, Cade's inbound pass to Duren for the dunk, was a thing of beauty.

Cade is distributing much better this season but the turnovers are killer. Four by Cade in OT and the last two minutes of regulation were brutal. Very lucky to win and very fortunate Jimmy Butler wasn't playing.

[Lowell]

I'll give Piston's a break on last night's blown lead. Tyler Herro of Miami had a dazzling career game making 10 of 16 3s with five straight at end. That's just flat out bad luck to run into anybody that hot, so they deserved the good luck break of the T at the end of OT.

[401don]

I'll give Piston's a break on last night's blown lead. Tyler Herro of Miami had a dazzling career game making 10 of 16 3s with five straight at end. That's just flat out bad luck to run into anybody that hot, so they deserved the good luck break of the T at the end of OT.

Speaking of last night's blown lead....

[Cincinnati_Kid]

Speaking of last night's blown lead....

Yes! Holland could have won the game, but the moment was too big for the rook. He's a 90% FT shooter and he blew them both. He only needed to make one. Pistons are playing much better, but they can't finish games. Giannis willed the Bucks to that win with 59pts/14 rebs. They couldn't stop him.

[401don]

Yes! Holland could have won the game, but the moment was too big for the rook. He's a 90% FT shooter and he blew them both. He only needed to make one. Pistons are playing much better, but they can't finish games. Giannis willed the Bucks to that win with 59pts/14 rebs. They couldn't stop him.

Yeah Giannis is the ultimate beast. Still, I though Stew actually played him a lot harder and more physical then Duren. Duren has to figure out a way to not collect 3 fouls his 1st 10 minutes. Stew has impressed me with his defense this year. I thought he was just too undersized to play as well as he has. At least Bickerstaff knows not to leave him sitting out at the 3 point line.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

Yeah Giannis is the ultimate beast. Still, I though Stew actually played him a lot harder and more physical then Duren. Duren has to figure out a way to not collect 3 fouls his 1st 10 minutes. Stew has impressed me with his defense this year. I thought he was just too undersized to play as well as he has. At least Bickerstaff knows not to leave him sitting out at the 3 point line.

Agreed. Looks like Bickerstaff has coached Stewart up in ways Williams could not. I knew he was going to get ejected after that flagrant foul on Giannis. That could have ended up very bad if he had got seriously injured. You don't pull a player down by his jersey whose air borne. Bickerstaff has them playing better than I imagined. They just need to close games, and stop turning the ball over so much.

[softailrider]

I'm happy with the progress the Pistons have made this year and I'm also not happy. It looks like about a 30-win season - maybe. This is nice after the disaster of last season and the team is a little more enjoyable to watch, but shouldn't we be better than this, by now?

[Danny]

Pistons are not going to win games if the keep pretending to be self-centered ball hogging superstars, forcing, turnovers and not passing the ball to their teammates, and keeping the rotation going.

They might as well have a losing season.

[sirrealone]

shouldn't we be better than this, by now?

Should've. But keeping Troy Weaver for way too long and hiring Monty Williams last season both set this franchise further backward at a point when they should have been moving forward. Unfortunately there's no getting those wasted seasons back, we just have to hope for better things from here.

[401don]

Should've. But keeping Troy Weaver for way too long and hiring Monty Williams last season both set this franchise further backward at a point when they should have been moving forward. Unfortunately there's no getting those wasted seasons back, we just have to hope for better things from here.

I thought he meant shouldn't we be better by now this season. This is a team that needs everyone healthy to have any shot. All teams have injuries but if Cade is out it's all over. The tough schedule the last few games just when they got healthy again didn't help. Still looking for Duren to step it up defensively with some shot blocking.

[sirrealone]

Last year they were 2-22 after 24 games, the year before that they were 6-18. I know 9-15 isn't great but with a young roster, not being a desired free agent landing spot, and with no draft capital since the previous regime pissed it all away, I think we have to be realistic in our expectations. 30 wins seems like a reasonable ceiling, given the circumstances.

[401don]

Last year they were 2-22 after 24 games, the year before that they were 6-18. I know 9-15 isn't great but with a young roster, not being a desired free agent landing spot, and with no draft capital since the previous regime pissed it all away, I think we have to be realistic in our expectations. 30 wins seems like a reasonable ceiling, given the circumstances.

Yeah, I just try to keep reminding myself how young they are:
Cade - 23, Ivey - 22, Duren & Thompson - 21, Holland -19. There's tons of potential for improvement with a core this young but just how much we won't know for a couple of years. I still hope they trade one of Thompson and Holland. They're just too similar and I don't see either developing decent jump shots. All of Thompson's practice this summer and he's still firing air balls.

[sirrealone]

Yeah, I don't know if the idea was that they could teach one or both of them to shoot, but guys that can only play defense don't have a place in the league anymore. At least not as starters. Twenty years ago, maybe, but after we won the 2004 title on defense, the league made sure that wouldn't become the new norm, because it was 'too boring'.

[401don]

This team is tough to cheer for. Watched them get outscored 18-2 in the last 5 min. at home last night, something I've never seen any team do. In overtime down 8 with just over 2 min. left I turned off the tv. Of course, they won by a point. Cunningham has been really good this year but he had a terrible time passing out of double and triple teams last night. He turned the ball over several times down the stretch, as did the rest of the team. They can't seem to get everyone healthy for any length of time either.

[Lowell]

^You need to do my way of watching. Record it, then blow through the commercials, free throws, half time, and replays.

Even after the comeback, with 3 amazing threes by Hardaway and a one point lead with the ball, they threw away the inbounds pass but lucked out when Miami missed the game winner shot.

I've renamed this team the Detroit Turnovers.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

^^ Fast forward, the Pistons are playing well with 3 straight road wins at Phoenix, LA Lakers, and Sacramento at the buzzer on a 4 pt play by Jaden Ivey. Cade Cunningham should make his 1st All-Star team this year. Last stop is Denver on Saturday.

[Lowell]

[Edit: ^Ha! you beat me by two minutes]

It's official. The Pistons have already match last season's win total with a 15 point comeback win vs. the Sacramento Kings capped with a dramatic four point play by Jaden Ivy with 3 seconds left.

They have now won three in a row on their West Coast swing.

[Meanwhile the Red Wings, going in the opposite direction, fired their coach.]

[401don]

I think the Pistons are a .500 team now in the weak Eastern Conference. They may be a little better as they continue to develop. You don't want to be stuck at .500 and it's really tough to add to the core in the NBA with a top free agent. Almost all re-sign with their own team on max deals except the few that go to play wit their pals. Apparently, this year is a very deep draft with 5-6 players who would be top 1-2 the last few years. Figures, when the Pistons likely won't have a lottery pick. I'm torn between holding on to Beasley & Hardaway at the deadline and going for the meaningless last playoff spot or trading them and maybe getting into the lottery one more time. Pistons are also the only team with cap space in the entire league so they could possibly take on a bad contract at the deadline to get another 1st round pick.

[djtomt]

I think the Pistons are a .500 team now in the weak Eastern Conference. They may be a little better as they continue to develop. You don't want to be stuck at .500 and it's really tough to add to the core in the NBA with a top free agent. Almost all re-sign with their own team on max deals except the few that go to play wit their pals. Apparently, this year is a very deep draft with 5-6 players who would be top 1-2 the last few years. Figures, when the Pistons likely won't have a lottery pick. I'm torn between holding on to Beasley & Hardaway at the deadline and going for the meaningless last playoff spot or trading them and maybe getting into the lottery one more time. Pistons are also the only team with cap space in the entire league so they could possibly take on a bad contract at the deadline to get another 1st round pick.

Being average in the NBA is a no win situation. Even when you win, you lose. As you said, it's hard for big time free agents to move. Even if they did, Detroit is low on the free agent destination list.

Even a middle tier free agent likely won't have a major effect on an average or below average team. Example: Jerami Grant on Portland, or Tobias Harris on the Pistons.

Pistons' ace in the hole is their cap sheet. They can absorb a crappy contract in return for a really good draft asset. Question is, will they?

Best move IMO is to tank and rebuild quickly around Cunningham and Ivey [[or keep 1 and trade the other, either way) - especially with this year's loaded draft. We will see if Langdon is willing to tear it down in order to build it back up quickly around those 2 [[or 1 of them) or if he's content with the status quo. Stay tuned...

[401don]

Best move IMO is to tank and rebuild quickly around Cunningham and Ivey [[or keep 1 and trade the other, either way) - especially with this year's loaded draft. We will see if Langdon is willing to tear it down in order to build it back up quickly around those 2 [[or 1 of them) or if he's content with the status quo. Stay tuned...

Yeah, it's tough to tell those guys that the team needs to take a short term step back after they finally get a taste of winning but it's probably the best move and it's really only for a couple of months. Langdon may be willing but will Gores meddle again?

[Cincinnati_Kid]

Yeah, it's tough to tell those guys that the team needs to take a short term step back after they finally get a taste of winning but it's probably the best move and it's really only for a couple of months. Langdon may be willing but will Gores meddle again?

I don't think Langdon or Bickerstaff are preaching that scenario of "Taking a Step Back" I think they honestly believe that they can a least make the play-in or possibly a playoff berth. I'll be interested to see if they are buyers or sellers at the trade deadline