Detroit Pistons 2021-22: Season Preview – CrownHoops
Last year was not a year worth remembering if you are a Detroit Pistons fan. That is putting it mildly. However, it did net them some positives going forward into the future. They won the NBA Draft Lottery which netted them the first overall pick. As a result, the team selected college standout, Cade Cunningham from Oklahoma State, as the player to build around for the future. You know what they say when things can’t get any worse right? The only way to go is up from there. For the Detroit Pistons, this is a good mentality to have as they work to re-tool their roster and try to become as competitive as they once were.
What to Expect
The Pistons are still not going to be whirl-beaters this season by any means (sorry optimists). However, this will still be a great opportunity to build and cultivate a positive locker room culture going forward as the Pistons continue to rebuild. The team already has players in place to build around in Cunningham, Jerami Grant, Saddiq Bey, and Killian Hayes. Not to mention, head coach, Dwane Casey, has experience in developing young talent and getting his teams to overachieve. As alluded to already, the Detroit Pistons will not be winning their division any time soon, but they will definitely improve from last season with the young talent they now have in place.
Breakout Player
While Cade Cunningham may seem like the obvious choice here, bear in mind he is a rookie. No matter how good a rookie is, there will always be growing pains. Not to mention, the hype surrounding Cunningham is unmatched, which will lead to opponents shifting their defensive focus on him. They will force other players on Detroit to beat them. With this in mind, look for Saddiq Bey to have a breakout season. Bey was a revelation last year. Not only did he make the All-Rookie Team, but Bey also tallied numbers of 12.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists per game, and shot an effective field goal percentage of 45.0 percent. With totals like these and having a spot in the starting rotation on a rebuilding team, the ceiling is very high for the Villanova product.
Prediction
As alluded to earlier, do not expect a drastic turnaround from last year from this Pistons squad. However, they will still put up a fight in certain matchups and continue to improve. Their young core will have plenty to learn, but they will also be thrown into the metaphorical NBA fire immediately which should progress their growth on a quicker scale. Cade Cunningham will be a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate and players like Jerami Grant and Cory Joseph will provide valuable veteran leadership to a young locker room. Detroit will probably finish last in their respective division, but this will be a great learning year as the future is getting brighter and brighter for this Detroit Pistons squad.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
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