Pistons miss playoffs, but the future is bright

Stan Van Gundy will miss postseason for first time in coaching career

DETROIT – It was a long shot. After a 5-24 start, nobody even considered the Detroit Pistons to be in playoff contention in April -- but they were. The team is heading towards another losing season, and a 6th straight year without a postseason birth, which happens to be the longest playoff drought in the Eastern Conference.

The Pistons roster took many different shapes this year. The birth of point guard Brandon Jennings gave the team a huge boost, until Jennings tore his Achilles. Backup point guard D.J. Augustin played well in his absence, but lacked the playmaking ability to take over a game like Jennings did. Head coach Stan Van Gundy decided to make a couple of big trades, bringing in budding star point guard Reggie Jackson from the Thunder, and bringing back former Pistons forward, Tayshaun Prince.

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Each time, the team needed to build a new chemistry. And each time, they did. But it was too late -- you can only change a team so many times, before you run out of games.

The Pistons will be watching from home next week -- but don't fret -- the future of the Pistons is bright.

A rising backcourt consisting of Reggie Jackson, who is averaging 22 points and 10 assists per game in his last 10, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, averaging 15 points per game in his last 10, have the team set up for a playoff run next year.

The front-court is no different: Andre Drummond is a stud -- there's no doubt about that. Averaging 13 points, 13 rebounds per game, Drummond is a force. He leads the NBA in offensive rebounds by a wide margin. He's also developed a decent post game, with a sick hook shot. He's only 21.

Jackson, KCP and Drummond are good building pieces. But now, the questions start.

What will happen with Greg Monroe?

Greg Monroe is set to become a free agent after the Pistons and Monroe failed to reach a long term deal last off-season. Indications are that Monroe would like to stay in Detroit -- but judging from last off-season, the Pistons don't value him as much as he values himself. It's also a tough market for Greg Monroe types.

What will happen with Brandon Jennings?

Forgot about him, didn't you? Jennings was lighting it up before his season ending injury, but the Pistons made a move for Reggie Jackson, which makes this very, very interesting. The assumption is that Reggie Jackson is the future -- but Jackson isn't signed past this season. Jennings has one year remaining. They could sign Jackson to a long term deal, and buyout Jennings, or trade him. It'll be interesting to see how that plays out.

Who will they take in the NBA Draft?

This really does depend on what happens with Greg Monroe. If Monroe walks, the Pistons would probably target a power forward to fill his spot. If not, they would probably look at a small forward/swing man in the draft. Currently, the Pistons would have the 8th pick, but the NBA Lottery is tricky, and usually unlucky for the Pistons. Some players to watch:

Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona.

Kevon Looney, PF, UCLA.

Myles Turner, PF, Texas.

Mario Hezonja, SF, Croatia.

Justice Winslow, SF, Duke. (This would be magical.)

The point is, yes, the Pistons are still not contenders -- but they are close. Stan Van Gundy has a proven track record of winning -- and it seems that the team has bought into his plan. The Pistons will have some money to play with in free agency this off-season, too. Many problems lay ahead, but rest easy -- because the future is bright. (This is coming from a guy who wrote an entire article about how bad the Pistons are just months ago.)


About the Author:

Ken Haddad has proudly been with WDIV/ClickOnDetroit since 2013. He also authors the Morning Report Newsletter and various other newsletters, and helps lead the WDIV Insider team. He's a big sports fan and is constantly sipping Lions Kool-Aid.