A classic among classics, the Global Franchise Preview is ready for the customer du jour. Head to Detroit to take a look at the Pistons, and get an overview of what happened, what is happening and what could happen in Dwane Casey’s team for the 2022-23 NBA season. Objective… play-in?
What happened last season
An attraction and his high school buddies, a Killian Hayes still in the hard, Marvin Bagley III trying to start something: despite the old collective record, it was cool to follow.
We were expecting a season on the theme of military heavy trucks moving on tracks, we had a season on the theme of military heavy trucks moving on tracks. Result of this nice joke, the selection of Jaden Ivey in 5th position in the 2022 Draft and individual progressions launched, advanced or about to take off. We undoubtedly think of Cade Cunningham, Detroit’s Golden Boy, who slammed a March up to 22.9 points on 48% shooting, 5.9 rebounds, 7 assists and 1.4 steals. A statistical line that he must now transpose over an entire season, until winning his first starred selection and taking his team beyond the shallows of Conf ‘Est. At the beginning of February, Marvin Bagley III arrived from Sacramento where Alvin Gentry no longer counted on him. In Michigan, his statistical averages instantly went up: 14.6 points and 6.8 rebounds in 18 games, one of the great stories of the Pistons’ 2021-22 season. March 18, Saddiq Bey was plaizou by swinging 51 points on the face of the Magic. We understood that the 23-year-old position 4, very stretchy, very modern, very 2022, was still far – very far – from hitting any ceiling. This is also the overall image that these new generation Pistons reflect.
The summer market
- They leave : Straw Grant Frank Jackson Luka Garza
- They extend: Marvin Bagley III, Rodney McGruder
- They arrive : Jaden Ivey, Nerlens Noel, Alec Burks, Jalen Duren, Kemba Walker, Kevin Knox,
A good balance between youth and bench mercenaries in perspective, with the arrivals of Nerlens Noel et Alec Burksperforming on the Knicks’ excellent 2020-21 season, and the selections of Jaden Ivey et Jalen Duren in the draft. The Pistons thus have a perfectly balanced workforce, where all positions are doubled, apart from perhaps this slight deficit on the wing. Behind Saddiq Bey – who will sometimes shift to position 4 – there is not really a training winger, capable of holding the barracks against the Jayson Tatum, Kevin Durant and other Paulo Georgo who are very lightning on their dribble starts. Finally if there is Kevin Knox, but then no. For the rest, nice designed on the back lines (Hayes, Burks, Ivey, Cunningham, Joseph) and super fresh blood inside (Stewart, Bagley, Olynyk, Duren, Livers).
Kemba ? The Pistons are actively looking for a solution to part with it with a good scissoring, so it’s probably only a matter of time before the Walker sets off again on a crusade towards a spot to be filled, proposed by a destitute GM of imagination.
The Pistons 2022-23 roster
- Leaders : Cade CunninghamKillian Hayes, Cory Joseph
- Rears : Jaden IveyAlec Burks, Rodney McGruder, Hamidou Diallo
- Wingers : Saddiq Bey, Kevin Knox II
- Power forwards : Marvin Bagley IIIIsaiah Livers, Kelly Olynyk
- Pivots : Isaiah StewartNerlens Noel, Jalen Duren
In orange the expected starters, according to the famous sources close to the file
A five major format “quintuple dose of hype“, full of boys from whom we expect a lot this season, and a slight deficit on the bench with a lack of “veteran who once planted 15 or 20 points per game”. As slammed as his last seasons were, it sounded like yes to George Hill or something like that. Not sure either of the rotation on positions 3 and 4, with Kevin Knox and Kelly Olynyk, two great drainers at Farfalles, who will fortunately be helped by Isaiah Livers, very interesting on this side of the floor. We strongly binge the Alec Burks – Nerlens Noel axis, and we place a big question mark above Killian Hayes.
A little video by the way?
Detroit Pistons 2022-23 salaries
TTFL: Pistons players to watch
Cade Cunningham, Marvin Bagley III and Saddiq Bey.
Rah, we could have put Jaden Ivey and tried to ignite it under the influence of the media praise he is the subject of, but we ended up opting for the three best average scores in TTFL last season. They are listed in order, young, fiery, and that is why none are considering a 2022-23 financial year in decreasing. Isaiah Stewart? Also, although its performance is less purring, without waves, and it is more difficult to reach 35/40.
Infirmary: update on injuries
When we look at the Detroit infirmary last season, four names stand out. To start with a mild case, we can mention Jaden Ivey, who left the Summer League on July 9 for a sprained right ankle that he has since had plenty of time to treat. We continue with Kemba Walker, greatly limited for two seasons by his left knee. Already operated on many times (mainly on the lateral meniscus), he suffers from early osteoarthritis which is difficult to treat and which should continue to bother him, in Detroit or elsewhere. Finally, two players who share right hip problems. On the one hand Cade Cunningham who, apart from a small sprain, missed five meetings in February for a bone bruise in the hip and two others for new pain. On the other hand, the case of Killian Hayes is perhaps more worrying. Kiki had already missed half a season for a labral tear, and had two alerts on the same hip last season: a bone contusion and one to the adductors.
What goals this season?
Undoubtedly one of the most difficult collective assessments to predict.
Ensuring that young people – that is to say 85% of the workforce – develop well, on this we all agree: Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart, Saddiq Bey, Killian Hayes, Marvin Bagley III and the other two or three losers with fewer guarantees. The following ? Who will live will see, and if the Pistons do not hang the play-in at the end of this regular 2022-23, there is no danger in the remains. Some boys like Jaden Ivey will take their temperature, and others might have taken it enough. We can easily imagine Cade Cunningham, Marvin Bagley III, Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Steward turning over a lot of teams, not by the sheer force of their talent, but by starting to develop direct links and relationships on the floor. As in the good Piston years. Do you remember the association between Killian Hayes and Blake Griffin? Once they beat the Hornets by compiling 33 points at 12/28 shooting. It was good.
But with hindsight, one cannot help but take into account a Wembanyamesque parameter. Just imagine, the premiere of the duo Cade – Victor in September 2023, surrounded by other pieces dedicated to topping some All-Star selections. The Pistons may drop the idea of the play-in, the Conf ‘Est remaining extremely tough with only four other teams considered “unsuitable” for the top 10 places: Pacers, Wizards, Hornets and Magic. It would thus be necessary for the Pistons to manage to double a franchise which will disappoint (a lot), which, given the quality of the workforce, leaves little room for hope. The Knicks, maybe? For the rest, the Hawks and Cavaliers have strengthened, Nets, Bulls and Raptors, if they tumble, should not fall far from the top 8, and the quartet Heat – Bucks – Sixers – Celtics once again seems prepared to play the very top of the table. In Detroit therefore: to advance the young people, then to act according to the dynamics.
The Editor’s Prognosis
32 wins – 50 losses: 12th place in the East.
The paper sparkles with a thousand lights, but there is still a lot of experience to be gathered to hope to get a big team out of the top 10 of the Eastern Conference. Whatever the case, the season will be brilliant to follow, due to the forty-two individual challenges scattered within this roster, but also thanks to this little tricolor touch that Killian Hayes will have the mission of maintaining, just to see his team option converted next summer. Dwane Casey? It is said to be good for developing young people. Until collective results are expected, there is little to fear.
Some useful links
So much for the Pistons preview for this NBA 2022-23 season, which we should appreciate despite a probable lack of victories. The reconstruction is well advanced, all that remains is to make all these beautiful people grow until the jousting in May/June/July 2027 for the beautiful eyes of Larry O’Brien.
Source texte : Basketballinsiders.com