Detroit — It was one of the most anticipated seasons in recent memory for the Pistons, after an exciting NBA draft and an offseason full of trades to bolster the roster.
The buzz around the franchise seemingly increased the expectation level for fans overnight, despite the team’s 23-win campaign last season.
Still, the Pistons, beaming with a bevy of young talent, began the year with a 14-point comeback victory over the Orlando Magic — another rebuilding team — and after five straight losses, eventually captured a statement win over the defending-champion Golden State Warriors.
However, Detroit’s trajectory was upended 12 games into the season when its star player, Cade Cunningham, had an uncharacteristic performance against the Boston Celtics on Nov. 9. He scored just four points on 1-of-11 shooting from the field and missed all six of his shots from beyond the arc.
It was the last time Cunningham was able to share the court with his teammates and the turning point for a team that was striving to compete on a nightly basis.
Now, the Pistons sit at 12-37, the second-worst record in the NBA behind only the Houston Rockets, after an embarrassing 150-120 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday.
What is the main catalyst for such a disappointing season? There isn’t one singular answer, but here are five reasons the Pistons are sitting near the bottom of the league’s standings:
▶ Cade Cunningham’s injury: Whether Pistons fans want to accept it or not, the loss of Cunningham is where the team’s struggles begin. Cunningham, who reportedly has dealt with lingering pain in his left shin since high school, had season-ending surgery to repair a stress fracture.
Without their best offensive player, the Pistons begin every game three feet behind the starting line. As a result, many defenses key in on Bojan Bogdanovic and dare the rest of the Pistons to beat them.
Cunningham not only served as another scorer who can manufacture his own shot; he often made the Pistons’ big men better, simply by the attention he attracted when he found his way into the paint. Isaiah Stewart and Marvin Bagley were the recipients of easier baskets with Cunningham on the floor.
In Cunningham’s absence, the Pistons have relied on Killian Hayes to serve as the main facilitator. While Hayes is showing promise as an NBA point guard with the newfound opportunity, his production doesn’t quite equate to Cunningham, who was averaging 19.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists basically on one leg.
Cunningham’s third season will be highly anticipated, and his return should make the Pistons more formidable than they’ve shown without him.
▶ Lack of defensive effort: Monday’s defensive showing against the Bucks was historically bad. The Pistons gave up a season-high 150 points to Milwaukee, including 73 in the first half — another season-high, for most points allowed in a half. Before Monday’s loss, the Pistons, known for their historical identity as a defensive-minded franchise, hadn’t given up that many total points since they lost to the Denver Nuggets, 151-142, on Jan. 2, 1988.
After the game, Pistons coach Dwane Casey said the team needs to find a way to regain their defensive pride.
“Someway, somehow, we gotta commit to the defensive end,” Casey said. “It’s not like our guys are not trying. We’re there, but we’re not there. There’s another level we gotta get to physically — getting into people, making them uncomfortable — and we did that in the second half. They made some tough shots, but we’ve gotta set the tone to begin the game.”
▶ Inexperience: Detroit entered the season with the ninth-youngest roster in the league, with an average age of 25.1 years old. Detroit isn’t alone in its struggles this season as a rebuilding team. Four of the top-six-youngest teams in the NBA (Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Orlando Magic, Charlotte Hornets) are all near the bottom of the league’s standings. The team has focused on the development of their two lottery picks, Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, both of whom have moved into starting roles this season.
Both players have had their fair share of ups and downs, but they’ve also shown promise. Duren scored a career-high 23 points and added 15 rebounds Monday against the Bucks, while Ivey had his best showing as the primary ballhandler, with a career-high 11 assists. Sometimes, it isn’t pretty to watch, but growing pains are a part of any rookie’s transition into the league.
Detroit’s second-year players, Cunningham and Isaiah Livers, have spent most of the year dealing with injuries. Not to mention, the Pistons’ 2020 class of Hayes, Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart are still finding their footing in the league as third-year players. The few vets on the team are Bogdanovic, Alec Burks, Rodney McGruder, Nerlens Noel and Cory Joseph, and the latter three are used when the younger players are either hurt or in foul trouble. With a healthy amount of cap space, general manager Troy Weaver should be equipped to add another key veteran in the offseason to complement his young nucleus.
▶ More injuries: In addition to Cunningham’s season-ending injury, nearly every player on the Pistons’ roster has missed multiple games due to the injury bug.
The Pistons began the year without big man Marvin Bagley III, who has missed time on three different occasions due to a right knee sprain (eight games), a non-Covid illness (two games) and his current ailment, as he recovers from a right-hand fracture (nine games and counting). Without him and Isaiah Stewart, who is currently day-to-day because of soreness in his left shoulder, the Pistons’ frontcourt has been depleted. Rookie center Jalen Duren missed five games due to an ankle injury, which forced Casey to play Hamidou Diallo at center in spot minutes for a couple of games.
Isaiah Livers (22 games), Alec Burks (13 games), Jaden Ivey (four games), Saddiq Bey (four games), Bogdanovic (three games), Cory Joseph (three games), Hayes (one game), Diallo (one game due to suspension) have all missed time due to either injury or illness.
Kevin Knox II is the only player who hasn’t missed a game because of injury this season. With so many pieces in and out of the lineup, there hasn’t been enough consistency to solidify rotations and gain chemistry.
▶ Inconsistency: It has only been 49 games, but it feels like there have been multiple versions of this Pistons team and their tendencies, which have developed into some surprising wins and more than a handful of devastating losses.
Detroit had one of the lowest-producing benches in the league to start the season, until Alec Burks returned from his foot injury and reinvigorated the second unit with his instant offense. They found a rhythm during the month of December and led the NBA with 786 points (49.1 per game) from the second unit. However, injuries forced Casey to bring Bey in and out of the starting lineup, and Bagley’s absence in the second unit creates a void on the offensive end, especially inside the paint.
The Pistons had a string of poor third-quarter performances, which also included an epic meltdown against the LA Clippers at home, in which the team had a 14-point collapse in the final three minutes of regulation.
The bright spots, though there haven’t been many, have included season sweeps over the Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves, overtime wins over the Dallas Mavericks and Charlotte Hornets and the improved play of Hayes. Of Detroit’s 12 victories, only two were back-to-back, which came against the Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz during their six-game road trip in November.
The inconsistencies on offense and defense, along with lineups, have resulted in Detroit’s current standing with the second-worst record in the league. While that appears negative on the surface, it may result in another top-5 draft pick, which may be worth it if it manifests into Victor Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson.
Twitter: @MikeACurtis2