The first half of the Pistons’ season has been a disappointment if you’re purely looking at the record. The team stands at 12-36, which is the second-worst in the Eastern Conference and the third-worst record in the NBA. That outcome is due to the combination of injury woes, poor defense, mental collapses — and, quite frankly, their inexperience.
Without Cade Cunningham, the team has lost some games that they probably would’ve won if their on-court general was in the lineup. Injuries have forced some players to play out of position, and the Pistons have gone all-in on developing their two young rookies, Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren.
The wins aren’t there, but Detroit has competed for the majority of the first half of the season. The Pistons have only won back-to-back games once this season, and they have a pair of six-game losing streaks. However, they’ve been able to beat a few of the league’s best, including the Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks and the defending-champion Golden State Warriors (twice).
These midseason grades reflect the performance of each player, along with expectations coming into the season.
mcurtis@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @MikeACurtis