The Detroit Pistons have been at the bottom of the league standings for quite some time now. However with those losses, a slew of high draft picks have entered their system. But with high talent players, comes heightened expectations, which begs the question: will this new look roster have a new leader at this time in 2023?
Dwane Casey has been the Detroit Pistons head coach for the past four seasons compiling a win-loss record of 104-198. During that time the team has only made the playoffs once, resulting in a 2019 sweep against the Milwaukee Bucks.
After the Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond era came to an end, there were few bright spots on the roster which caused the Pistons to be on more than their fair share of lopsided scores. Even when players like Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart were rookies, the lack of experience and talent on the roster caused them to have the second and third worst records in the league the previous two seasons.
Now with promising young talent to build around like Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey, fans rightly expect the tanking era to be coming to a close in Detroit.
The Pistons have solidified one of the most dynamic and highly anticipated young back courts in the NBA while also having promising big men in their lineup. While they may not be vying for a title in 2022-23, the team should at the very least take a significant step forward.
Cade is expected to see a spike in production this year with Jerami Grant out of the picture as he’ll have as many touches as he can handle on the offensive side of the ball. While some NBA fans have pointed to Cade’s impressive statline as a classic case of “good stats, bad team”, this upcoming season could be one in which the talented guard earns the respect he deserves around the league. Cade has the potential to be a top five player in the NBA in a few years, and Casey needs to ensure he’s putting his young lineup in the best position to succeed night in, night out.
While Casey has been a good player developer so far, will the young talent the team has accumulated translate to wins in Detroit? The overall skill level on the roster is going to be exponentially higher than last year, but if that doesn’t translate into more wins at the end of the season, we may see a new Head Coach in Detroit this time next year.
Casey was fired from the Toronto Raptors in 2018: the same year he won NBA coach of the year for the team that won the NBA championship the very next season. A very rare firing, but understandable after losing to Lebron and the Cleveland Cavaliers multiple times in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
We know Casey is capable of being close to a winner in this league, but if the Pistons continue to show no signs of improving, management will need to hold him accountable for his on court results.
Beginning to lay the foundation of a winning culture in Detroit is paramount this year for the Pistons. General Manager Troy Weaver would be well served to ensure that message is received loud and clear by all parties in the Motor City. Taking a step forward this year, and then evaluating what complimentary pieces the team needs to add to its core is the logical next progression for this team of players in their early 20’s.
Whether Casey is still around to see the fruits of his labour the last few years remains to be seen.
-Rob Martin
Twitter: @Defense_Rob
Photo: David Herrera. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.