Thirty-six games down, 36 to go.
The Detroit Pistons’ second half of the season begins with a road game against the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday. The Pistons are 10-26, second-worst in the league, but it has been an eventful season. The franchise is in the early stages of a rebuild, and signs indicate it’s on the right track.
Here are five storylines to watch for the rest of the season.
Who will be moved before the trade deadline?
After a busy offseason, first-year general manager Troy Weaver hasn’t stopped making moves. They moved on from Blake Griffin last week, and dealt Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks for Dennis Smith Jr. and a second-round pick in February. It would be surprising to see the Pistons sit tight before the March 25 trade deadline.
Wayne Ellington, who found his shooting touch last week after a cold February, is a prime trade candidate as a veteran on a one-year deal. He was unstoppable in January, hitting 48 of his 92 attempts from 3 (52.2%). He struggled through much of February, making 15 of his 58 3s. He’s back on track after scoring a season-high 25 points on a season-high eight 3s in a win over the Toronto Raptors on March 3.
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Overall, Ellington is in the midst of one of the best seasons of his career and is hitting 43.3% of his 3s. If there’s a second-round pick or two available for him, the Pistons should bite.
Outside of Ellington, there doesn’t appear to be any other likely trade candidates on the roster. But I’m curious about Delon Wright, who was in the midst of a hot streak before going down with a groin strain in late February. The Pistons will have a bit of a log jam at point guard when he returns (more on that later). Wright has been a valuable rotation player and wanted to play for the Pistons and coach Dwane Casey. If Detroit wants to open more playing time for Killian Hayes, Smith Jr., Saben Lee and Svi Mykhailiuk, Wright’s contract ($9 million this season) is moveable. But there isn’t a pressing need to deal him now since he’s under contract through 2022.
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How will point guard rotation shake out?
With Wright sidelined during the past two weeks of the season, both Smith and Lee have flourished. Lee is exceeding expectations as a two-way guard, while Smith is showing his career could be far from over after falling toward the end of the Knicks’ rotation early this season.
Hayes, who hasn’t played since Jan. 4 after tearing his labrum in his right hip, is rehabbing well and will be re-evaluated in late March. He was the starting point guard before he went down, and the Pistons could look to get him back into the rotation immediately when he returns. Casey could shift Wright to shooting guard to accommodate Hayes’ return, but that leaves the Pistons with three young point guards deserving of playing time.
My guess is Lee would be the odd man out, given his lack of seniority compared to the rest of the roster. Casey could also experiment with playing two point guards at a time, since Hayes has the size to defend opposing wings.
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Can Mykhailiuk, Doumbouya bounce back?
The two holdovers from the previous regime’s young core have underwhelmed this season. Mykhailiuk’s shooting splits have declined across the board after shooting 40.4% from 3 last season; he’s hitting 33.5% of his attempts this season. He has had enough good games to suggest he can turn it around, hitting a season-high five 3s against the Raptors on March 3, and Casey has praised him for making positive strides on defense.
Sekou Doumbouya has probably been hurt more by the Pistons’ lack of a G League team this season than any other player on the roster. The Pistons are deep at forward, but Doumbouya hasn’t capitalized when he has played. He has shown flashes — a quarter of good defense here, an intuitive cut there — but is a project and on a longer developmental curve than many of his peers. The arrival of the Motor City Cruise this fall will be a major opportunity for him.
How many candidates do Pistons have for All-Rookie teams?
The Pistons didn’t have any representatives on this year’s Rising Stars roster, but that doesn’t overshadow how good Detroit’s rookie class has been this season.
Saddiq Bey is in the midst of the best rookie season of any Piston since perhaps Andre Drummond in 2012-13. That was also the last time the Pistons had a player make the All-Rookie team, as Drummond and Kyle Singler were both second-team selections.
Stewart and Lee could also be strong candidates this year. And while Hayes will likely end up playing less than half the season, he could make noise with a strong finish.
Will Grant win Most Improved Player?
The Pistons have never had a player win the Most Improved Player award since it debuted in 1986. If the season ended today, it seems likely that it would go to Jerami Grant. In his first season as a primary offensive option, he’s averaging a career-high 23.4 points — nearly double the 12 points per game he averaged as a role player with the Denver Nuggets last season. And he’s doing it efficiently, while playing above average defense.
Former Piston Christian Wood could make a late push after returning from an ankle sprain, but it’s currently Grant’s award to lose — he remains the big betting favorite at minus-250 on DraftKings.
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @omarisankofa. Read more on the Detroit Pistons and sign up for our Pistons newsletter.