The Detroit Pistons are heading into an exciting season. Their roster is filled with primarily young talent, with a few respectable veterans to tie the roster together. The outlook for the Pistons franchise changed when they secured the first-overall pick and, ultimately, Cade Cunningham in the 2021 NBA Draft. The addition of Cunningham came after one of their best drafts just a year prior, where they drafted Killian Hayes, Saddiq Bey, and Isaiah Stewart in the first round. All of a sudden, the Pistons had a nice young core.

After another losing season last year, the Pistons had the fifth pick in the draft and selected Jaden Ivey out of Purdue. Troy Weaver, general manager of the Pistons since 2020, was able to swing a deal with the New York Knicks to land big man Jalen Duren in Detroit with the 13th overall pick, along with veterans Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel, both of which find themselves on expiring contracts. Detroit was then able to acquire sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic from the Utah Jazz shortly before the preseason began. A nice complimentary piece for their young roster.

Now, as we head into the 2022-23 NBA season, a handful of players are facing crucial seasons in their development. They are all young, but Hayes, Bey, and Stewart are all heading into year three. With Cunningham and Ivey entrenched in the Pistons’ backcourt for years to come, Hayes is trying to find his spot with the Pistons and in the NBA. He is their best on-ball defender and a nice facilitator for Detroit, but he has yet to show he can be a reliable offensive threat. Hayes will be looking to carve out his role on this team this season after looking impressive in the preseason.

For Stewart, he has always been a bit undersized to be playing center in the NBA at just 6-8. However, his big body and work ethic has gotten him where he is today. Now, that same work ethic will have to shine again for Stewart, as the Pistons just drafted what they envision as the future of their team at the center position in Duren. Stewart has been working on adding the three-point shot to his game, which could transition him from an undersized big man to what is a very useful player in today’s NBA. A big man who can stretch the floor on offense but still provide strong defense and rebounding.

If Stewart proves that he can knock down the three-ball consistently, it will mean well for him and the Pistons’ success this season and his career in the big picture.

BEST CASE SCENARIO

The best-case scenario for this Pistons team this season is securing a play-in spot in the tough Eastern Conference. This would mean a successful season, as it would show the NBA world that this team is really going to be a threat in the East for years to come. A lot must go the Pistons’ way for this to happen, but it is not unattainable.

In this scenario, Cunningham will take a step forward and have an All-Star caliber season, and Ivey will make a strong push for the Rookie of the Year. The acquisition of Bogdanovic shows the organization’s mindset and that they are ready to attempt to push for the play-in tournament this season.

REALISTIC SCENARIO

The realistic scenario for this team this season is that they will find themselves in a similar spot to last season, where they will lose a good number of games, but they will be a substantially more fun product to watch on the court.

Overall, their record should improve from their 23-59 record last season. If they can see the necessary growth from some of their key pieces as they mature as a team in the NBA, this team can compete for a play-in spot. That is a realistic goal for this young squad. There will be growing pains in multiple spots, which is what will likely keep the Pistons as a lottery team for at least one more season.

Nonetheless, improving on their record and playing meaningful basketball games late in the season would be a big step forward in the restoration process in Detroit.

22-23 Season Record Prediction: 34-48