This offseason, we at Gino's Jungle would like to think we have covered everything from A to Z when it comes to the Boston Celtics. With the regular season tip-off quickly approaching we decided it was time to take a look at the enemies. For the next five weeks we will be giving you the down low on all thirty teams in the NBA. We'll be doing this somewhat in conjunction with Celtics Blog's NBA team previews.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Team Name: Detroit Pistons

Last Year's Record: 27-55

 

What did they do this offseason?

 

Ever since the Allen Iverson-Chauncey Billups trade the Pistons have turned away from being one of the premier teams in the league. They have drafted some great young talent but haven't quite been able to put it together for a serious run since the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals against the Celtics. 

 

This offseason the Pistons went to work to continue to try to turn this team back into a competitive team in the east. Did they do enough? I'll let you decide. 

 

After an embarassing 27-55 season last season the Pistons saw the upside of finally getting a lottery pick in the NBA Draft. With the pick they drafted what they hope to be their best big man since Ben Wallace in Greg Monroe. Monroe has yet to prove he will be a solid player in the league but having a guy like him in the system is promising for the franchise. 

 

The other big move this offseason for the Pistons saw former all-star Tracy McGrady being shipped into town. We all know McGrady is past his prime but he still has the opportunity to be a solid player and help the Pistons out. 

 

Key losses for the Pistons include Chucky Atkins and Kwame Brown. Oh wait, scratch out the word "key" in the above sentance.  

 

What will they be good at? Bad at?

 

I don't think anyone will argue with the fact that the Pistons biggest strength is the depth they have at the SG/SF positions. This is one team that could actually still play near the same level if one of their starters/key contributors went down with an injury. That doesn't erase the fact that none of them are all-star caliber players but that's another story.  

 

Let's look at the players that occupy those two positions: Rodney Stuckey, Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Tracy McGrady, Ben Gordon, and Jonas Jerebko. That's pretty solid depth if you ask me. 

 

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Pistons are very weak down low. Unless Greg Monroe can really establish himself with the big boys this season, the Pistons are going to run into some problems with their front court. Ben Wallace is the best thing the Pistons have down low, and I'm not talking about the Ben Wallace from 5 years ago. 

 

Outside of the two Pistons that helped the team be so succesful in their "glory years", the Pistons are also a somewhat young team with the lack of a leader. There is no longer a Chauncey Billups in Detroit to keep the team in-line and that could be a problem somewhere down the road.  

 

What should we expect from the Pistons this season?

 

 

The Pistons should show some improvement this season thanks to their offseason acquisitions. To say that they will be a playoff team would be a stretch but they are capable of being there if everything goes right (like 1,589 other teams in the East).

 

If you are Joe Dumars you should probably continue to focus on the future and make sure your team is continuously showing improvement.

 

The Expert's Take: (Natalie Sitto from Need 4 Sheed on goals for this year’s squad)

I feel like I have answered this same question the same way last season.  The Pistons NEED to play better than 500 basketball.  They don’t need to set their sights too high, but asking them to just compete and maybe make the playoffs would be enough for this proud franchise to help them to build on the future.  Anything past the first round in the playoffs would be a delightful bonus.

Final Prediction: 32-50 (12th in Eastern Conference)