Last season, the Detroit Pistons The Cardinals finished with the NBA’s worst record of 14 wins and 68 losses. Despite how things have gone for them in 2024, they have managed to avoid the bottom of the power rankings in recent conferences.
There are still a few months to go before the official games take place, power rankings The conference standings have already started to emerge. Among the 15 teams in the East, the Pistons found themselves in 11th place. Behind them were the Washington Wizards, Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets. The Toronto Raptors narrowly edged out Detroit for a spot in the top 10.
The Pistons have more rotation-caliber veterans to step up. The focus remains on the young core, which will now have a third coach for Season 3 in Jalen Duren and Jaden Ivey. Given how last season went, another reboot opportunity is probably a good thing.
Even though things didn’t go as planned last season, the Pistons still have a leg up on some of the lower-ranked teams in the East. For starters, they’ve upgraded their roster talent through the draft and free agency. Ron Holland has the potential to be a promising forward, and Trajan Langdon has brought in a trio of veterans to complement the team’s young core.
The Pistons also took a big step forward by hiring head coach JB Bickerstaff to replace Monty Williams. Given his recent track record with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he should be able to help Detroit get back on track.
Between more complementary players and players like Cade Cunningham and Jalen Durent getting a year older, the Pistons have a lot to look forward to in the near future. They may not be a play-in team yet, but they should be able to move up a few spots in the standings in 2025.
