On paper, the Detroit Pistons should be better next season, but that doesn’t mean much when the team has only won 14 games.
Being slightly better than the worst of all time probably wouldn’t be enough to satisfy fans who are tired of being told to wait until next year and the year after that in perpetuity.
How much progress the Pistons make next season will depend on a number of factors, including internal development, veteran impact and addition by subtraction, as the Pistons’ roster last season was littered with players who are on the fringes of the league or out of it entirely.
We know Cade Cunningham must be goodWe know Jaden Ivey needs to take a step forward and we know the Pistons need to get more out of their veterans, but there are also a number of X-factors that could make the Pistons better than expected.
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The Pistons are being should win 23 to 25 games by most publications, so what needs to happen for the team to exceed these low expectations?
Say what you want about Dwane Casey, but the man showed up every day, his players loved him and he tried to do the best he could for the franchise, which is why he still has a job in management.
The same cannot be said of Monty Williams, who must have been lured into a job he never wanted by a sum of money he could not refuse. I am not even sure he knew the names of his players at the start of the season, as evidenced by the fact that Killian Hayes was in the starting XI.
JB Bickerstaff has been criticized for various things, but he is excited about the workwas happy to take him on and should bring renewed energy to the young players who did not get enough from their coach last season.
Bickerstaff has a history of playing top-10 defenses and getting the most out of young players.
Having a competent coach will be important and should help secure a few more wins, as it was clear to anyone watching that Monty Williams was never there.
