Much of the Central Division, including the Indiana Pacers, is hoping to be a better team in 2024-25. Chicago Bulls exceptionwho traded away some top talent, the rest of the division made moves that suggest they want to be a better group next campaign.
The Detroit Pistons have no room to improve and are on an upward trajectory. Their progress this year will likely depend on the development of their young stars, but they will be playing alongside skilled players more often than last season. They should be a solid group.
In 2023-24, Indiana swept Detroit. It will be more difficult next season. The Pistons’ offseason was marked by the arrival of stable veterans, and these players should make the Pacers’ opponent more formidable.
The Pistons’ new group is led by Tobias Harris, who the franchise signed to a two-year deal worth more than $50 million. They also acquired veteran forwards Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley, while picking up Paul Reed off waivers. These are established NBA talents who can help a team win more games.
At the same time, players like Chimezie Metu, Troy Brown Jr, Evan Fournier, James Wiseman (who came to the Pacers), and Malachi Flynn are part of the team that got rotation minutes last year in Detroit and is no longer with the team. If that group is replaced by the aforementioned veterans on the court, the Pistons should naturally see some improvement.
The big question is how much progress the Pistons will make. Rising young talents like Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren are still with the Pistons, and they need playing time. Ron Holland was a top-five pick in the last NBA draft, and the team added Bobi Klintman early in the second round.
Add in three recent first-round picks, Wendell Moore Jr., Ausar Thompson and Marcus Sasser, and suddenly the Pistons’ rotation becomes crowded. Their talent from top to bottom is better than last season, but how they build a competent rotation will be fascinating.
Cunningham, Duren, Harris and Thompson all appear to have a chance to play. Ivey, Beasley and Simone Fontecchio should be in the mix. How the other positions are filled and the balance between young and veteran players will determine how good Detroit is this season.
“Any time you have the chance to work with elite basketball players, you have to take something and learn from them,” said head coach JB Bickerstaff, according to the Detroit Free Press“You have to find different ways to use them together, find different ways to rotate them so they have an opportunity to play to their strengths. We’ve always tried to keep one of those guys on the field. We let them finish games together, start games together, but you build your rotation so you always have one of those dynamic players on the field.”
Speaking of Bickerstaff, he’s also new to the team. How he builds a culture will matter as the Pistons look for long-term success.
As the Pacers look at their division, they need to get a sense of the Pistons’ strength. It’s going to be tough to beat them four times this season. But Detroit’s true strength will likely depend on their priorities. If they choose to be younger and develop, they may not win many games. But if they rely on their veterans, it’s plausible they could reach 30 wins or more. Time will tell what Indiana faces.
