Welcome to IAI Sports! And welcome to the 2022-23 NBA Season!
To begin the season, we will be running through each NBA team and analysing what they’ve done throughout the off-season. Each article will start off with an introduction, telling a story of how this team is where they are at today. We quickly delve into the results of the 2021-2022 NBA season, before diving into the off-season in’s and out’s.
From there, we go into depth discussing some of the important rotation pieces for the upcoming season, before finishing with a quick analysis of a team’s win totals and a full conclusion of why this team has completed these moves, what their win total will be, and my own predictions of breakout players and what to expect from this team. It’s a season preview series with the purpose of getting you up-to-date with what has happened throughout the league.
A season preview of each of the 30 teams will be released, leading up to the beginning of the NBA season. All data and information included in these articles have been gathered from Basketball Reference, NBA.com and ESPN.
Today’s team is the Detroit Pistons – a franchise building around #1 overall pick, Cade Cunningham.
Introduction
The Detroit Pistons have struggled for the better part of a decade. Since the 2010 season, the Pistons have made the playoffs only twice, where they got swept in the first round both times. This Pistons franchise hasn’t seen a playoff victory since 2008 – when the likes of Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Ben Wallace were still together and dominating the Eastern Conference.
They went through a rebuild at the start of the 2010s, which helped the team reach the playoffs in 2016 and 2019. The team was built around former 10th overall selection Andre Drummond, a physical rim-running big man who led the league in rebounding for multiple seasons. The team had a core consisting of Reggie Jackson, Marcus Morris and Tobias Harris, which led them to their first playoff run in 2016.
By the time the team needed a fresh face, the LA Clippers Lob City era was just ending. Just before of the 2018 trade deadline, the Pistons made a trade with the Clippers to acquire Blake Griffin and combine him with Drummond. This duo was able to get the Pistons back to the playoffs in 2019, seemingly ending years of mediocre results, but injuries ultimately forced the team’s hand by moving on from both players.
After multiple failed attempts for relevance, thanks to poor list management and draft selections that didn’t work out, the Pistons were back at square one. The team struggled to be able to draft a cornerstone to build around, until they were fortunate enough to be given the 1st selection of the 2021 NBA draft. With that pick, they were able to select Cade Cunningham. Now the team hopes to build around Cunningham, to get the franchise back to the successes of 2004.
Last Season
The team were in the beginning stages of building a team around Cade Cunningham in 2022. They already had young prospects Isaiah Stewart, Saddiq Bey and Killian Hayes playing large minutes and getting starting opportunities. It was all about teaching those players how to play winning basketball through experienced veterans such as Jerami Grant, Cory Joseph and Kelly Olynyk.
It was a rough start. The Pistons went on a 14-game losing streak to eventually have a record of 4-24 to begin the year. It got slightly better as the season progressed, but they eventually finished at 23-59, 2nd worst in the Eastern Conference. It didn’t help that Grant and Olynyk played a combined 87 games for the season. If they had played more, the team would’ve definitely done better than their record suggests. In terms of efficiency ratings, the Pistons ranked 28th offensively and 24th defensively.
Despite all the negatives that can come from a season (or even, era) of mediocrity, there are plenty of positives to take out of it. It was promising to see the core of Cunningham, Bey and Stewart play meaningful minutes together, with all three showing significant leaps in their development in their respective areas. All three ended up starting every game they played and combined to play 217 games for the season. Those games will be crucial as they continue through the start of their careers.
Off-Season
Ins:
Jaden Ivey (5th pick, NBA draft)
Jalen Duren (13th pick, NBA draft)
Gabriele Procida (36th pick, NBA draft)
Nerlens Noel (trade with New York Knicks)
Alec Burks (trade with New York Knicks)
Kevin Knox (free agency, originally with Atlanta Hawks)
Bojan Bogdanovic (trade with Utah Jazz)
Outs:
Jerami Grant (trade to Portland Trail Blazers)
Frank Jackson (free agency)
Luka Garza (free agency)
Carsen Edwards (free agency, signed overseas)
Jamorko Pickett (free agency)
Braxton Key (free agency)
Kelly Olynyk (trade to Utah Jazz)
Saben Lee (trade to Utah Jazz)
As the Pistons continue to rebuild, they will prioritise bringing in young talent to partner their young starting core. With the 5th pick in this year’s draft, they selected athletic combo guard Jaden Ivey. The team were also able to acquire the 13th selection in a trade with the New York Knicks to take on Kemba Walker’s contract, selecting Jalen Duren with that pick. Other than another trade where they took on more of New York’s contracts (Nerlens Noel and Alec Burks), they took a flyer on Kevin Knox in free agency.
In order to be the beneficiary of the New York Knicks, the Pistons needed to move some of their own salary first. Fully embracing the youth movement, they decided the Jerami Grant experiment was over, sending him to the Portland Trail Blazers. The rest of the losses were players either at the end of the bench or on two-way contracts. One surprising release was Frank Jackson, who had shown an ability to score, albeit inefficiently.
2022-23 Roster
Starting Five
PG – Cade Cunningham
| H: 6’6″ | W: 220lbs | Age: 20 |
| Contract: 3 yr/$35.6m (RC) | Years Pro: 1 |
Career Averages:
17.4 pts, 5.5 reb, 5.6 asts, 1.2 stls, 0.7 blks, 3.7 to, 41.6%/31.4%/84.5%, 32.6 mins
Averages Last Season:
17.4 pts, 5.5 reb, 5.6 asts, 1.2 stls, 0.7 blks, 3.7 to, 41.6%/31.4%/84.5%, 32.6 mins
2022-23 Projections:
17.7 pts, 5.7 reb, 5.5 asts, 1.3 stls, 0.7 blks, 3.4 to, 43.2%/32.9%/84.7%
Cade Cunningham has had a solid start to his NBA career. Playing as an oversized PG, he has the natural playmaking ability and moves to create open looks for himself and his teammates. Impressively, he was able to adapt to the pace of the NBA straight away, which is shown through his selection into the All-Rookie First team.
SG – Jaden Ivey
| H: 6’4″ | W: 195lbs | Age: 20 |
| Contract: 4 yr/$33.0m (RC) | Years Pro: 0 |
Career Averages:
N/A (Rookie Season)
Averages Last Season:
N/A (Rookie Season)
2022-23 Projections:
16.0 pts, 3.5 reb, 2.8 asts, 0.7 stls, 0.4 blks, 2.4 to, 44.8%/35.4%/74.2%
The 5th overall selection in the 2022 NBA draft, Jaden Ivey is an athletic combo guard that can become a go-to scorer and playmaking option. Drafted out of Purdue, Ivey was able to show off his improved 3-point shooting (25.8% vs 35.8% last season) which resulted in an increase in his points (11.1 vs 17.3 last season). If he can continue to develop his 3-point shot, he will partner alongside Cunningham very nicely.
SF - Saddiq Bey
| H: 6’7″ | W: 215lbs | Age: 23 |
| Contract: 2 yr/$7.6m (RC) | Years Pro: 2 |
Career Averages:
14.3 pts, 5.0 reb, 2.2 asts, 0.8 stls, 0.2 blks, 1.0 to, 39.9%/36.1%/83.3%, 30.3 mins
Averages Last Season:
16.1 pts, 5.4 reb, 2.8 asts, 0.9 stls, 0.2 blks, 1.2 to, 39.6%/34.6%/82.7%, 33.0 mins
2022-23 Projections:
15.4 pts, 5.4 reb, 2.5 asts, 0.9 stls, 0.3 blks, 1.1 to, 41.0%/36.5%/83.4%
Despite his shooting splits decreasing from year 1 to year 2, Saddiq Bey was able to improve in other areas of his game. He doubled his assist rate (1.4 in his rookie year vs 2.8 last season) and boosted his scoring numbers. A huge strength of Bey’s was his ability to remain durable and play all 82 games last season. Look for him to continue to build his playmaking skills, while working to be a better defender.
PF - Marvin Bagley III
| H: 6’11” | W: 235lbs | Age: 23 |
| Contract: 3 yr/$37m | Years Pro: 4 |
Career Averages:
13.6 pts, 7.4 reb, 0.9 asts, 0.5 stls, 0.7 blks, 1.3 to, 50.1%/29.1%/66.3%, 25.1 mins
Averages Last Season:
11.3 pts, 7.0 reb, 0.8 asts, 0.5 stls, 0.4 blks, 0.8 to, 50.4%/23.7%/66.3%, 23.9 mins
2022-23 Projections:
12.4 pts, 7.1 reb, 1.0 asts, 0.5 stls, 0.4 blks, 1.0 to, 51.0%/29.2%/65.3%
Marvin Bagley III has had a rocky start to his NBA career. Selected 2nd overall in 2017 to the Sacramento Kings, his entire time in Sacramento was defined by turmoil and trade requests. Finally finding stability after being dealt to the Pistons at last season’s trade deadline, Detroit hope to get some sort of production out of Bagley, who came into the league with the potential to be a three-level scorer.
C - Isaiah Stewart
| H: 6’8″ | W: 250lbs | Age: 21 |
| Contract: 2 yr/$8.7m (RC) | Years Pro: 2 |
Career Averages:
8.1 pts, 7.7 reb, 1.0 asts, 0.4 stls, 1.2 blks, 1.1 to, 52.9%/33.0%/70.8%, 23.5 mins
Averages Last Season:
8.3 pts, 8.7 reb, 1.2 asts, 0.3 stls, 1.1 blks, 1.2 to, 51.0%/32.6%/71.8%, 25.6 mins
2022-23 Projections:
8.7 pts, 8.1 reb, 1.2 asts, 0.4 stls, 1.2 blks, 1.2 to, 53.2%/34.7%/72.8%
Isaiah Stewart had the opportunity to start all games he played last season. He performed admirably in the role without putting up extraordinary numbers, showing that he can be an undersized rim-runner with the potential to space the floor. With the addition of Jalen Duren, if he can transform himself into a PF, he will have the chance to remain a starter on this team.
Backups
G - Cory Joseph
| H: 6’3″ | W: 200lbs | Age: 31 |
| Contract: 1 yr/$5.2m | Years Pro: 11 |
A player who has been to multiple teams throughout his NBA career, Joseph has established himself in Detroit as a solid backup PG. Known for his defence, Joseph’s 3-point shooting stood out as a career best last season (41.4%). He may not fit the timeline of the Pistons, but is an important veteran presence.
G - Alec Burks
| H: 6’6″ | W: 214lbs | Age: 31 |
| Contract: 1 yr/$10m | Years Pro: 11 |
Once a key member of a Jazz rebuild before injuries slowed his career, Alec Burks has been able to rejuvenate his career with New York. Playing in 81 games and starting in 44 last season, he was used as both a combo guard and lead PG, seeing his assist rate equal his career best. He has been traded to Detroit in the off-season to move his salary.
F - Hamidou Diallo
| H: 6’5″ | W: 202lbs | Age: 24 |
| Contract: 1 yr/$5.2m | Years Pro: 4 |
One word. Hops. The winner of the 2019 NBA Dunk Contest, he has been known as an athlete with raw basketball skills. This past season, he saw a leap in his steal rate (1.2 steals per game) and is becoming a reliable perimeter defender. For Diallo to be a trusted role player, he will need to develop an outside shot (27.7% from 3-point range for his career).
F - Bojan Bogdanovic
| H: 6’7″ | W: 223lbs | Age: 33 |
| Contract: 1 yr/$19.3m | Years Pro: 8 |
Bojan Bogdanovic began his career overseas in Turkey. Since coming across to play basketball in the United States, he has been a durable 3-and-D forward with an elite 3-point shot (39.2% for his career). He has been integral to Utah’s success, being a complementary piece to Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. Just got traded this off-season to the Pistons, where he will have the chance to start.
C - Jalen Duren
| H: 6’10” | W: 250lbs | Age: 18 |
| Contract: 4 yr/$19.5m | Years Pro: 0 |
Jalen Duren comes to the Pistons as a highly skilled big man with high-end defensive potential. He has a large wingspan (7’5”) which gives him the tools to be a presence under the rim. In combination with his athleticism to defend on the perimeter, the sky’s the limit for Duren to be an elite rim-running big. He will need to develop his low post and shooting touch in order for him to reach his potential.
The Rest
11. Nerlens Noel (C)
12. Killian Hayes (PG)
13. Kevin Knox (SF)
14. Rodney McGruder (SG)
15. Isaiah Livers (SF)
T-W. Buddy Boeheim (SG)
T-W.
Season Projections
Sports betting agencies currently have the Detroit Pistons win totals sitting at 28.5 wins, 13th best in the Eastern Conference. This would have the Pistons missing the playoffs, which I agree with. As they continue to add young talent, they’re going to struggle as they come up against teams that are older with more experience.
Conclusion
The Detroit Pistons are still going through their rebuild, hoping that they can get games into their youngsters and see an increase in production and skillsets. Last season it was all about exposing Cade Cunningham to NBA level basketball, while seeing what the likes of Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart and Killian Hayes could do alongside him. It’ll be much of the same this upcoming season.
Out of all the rebuilding teams in the league, the Pistons absolutely aced draft night, being proactive and using their cap space to its full potential. Picking Jaden Ivey 5th overall is a steal, especially when he could be one of the better players to come out of this draft class. He fits right next to Cunningham as a combo guard who will play more off the ball, maximising the PG’s playmaking prowess. It may take a season or two for Ivey to be efficient as a scorer, but the Pistons won’t mind, especially when the team is not expected to win this season.
Taking on the New York Knick’s unwanted contracts of Kemba Walker, Nerlens Noel and Alec Burks was smart business on the Piston’s part. It gave them access to the 13th overall selection and the opportunity to select arguably the best Centre in the draft. As mentioned, Jalen Duren has a lot of growing to do on the offensive end, but if he can stay committed and develop his game, he can certainly become a top 10 Centre in the league. The gifts he has on the defensive end should translate into the NBA almost straight away this year.
There are quite a few questions about how the rotation will look throughout the season. It’s pretty obvious that Cunningham, Ivey and Bey will start for this team. But who will start at the PF and C positions? It could be any combination of Stewart, Duren or Marvin Bagley III. If Stewart can become a threat from 3-point range, it will definitely help his chances as he could start at either the PF or C. The battle between Bagley III and Duren will be fascinating; both being lottery selections, one being a rookie and the other not having a consistent run in the NBA since being drafted. I’ve got Bagley III down to start the season, but if Duren is able to play high impact minutes off the bench, don’t be surprised if he finishes the year as the starting Centre.
Integration of the team’s veteran players will also be a point of interest. As we saw last season, Cory Joseph played big minutes for this team, despite being 31 years old. Now you add Noel, Burks and Bojan Bogdanovic into the rotation; four players that should not be in Detroit’s long-term plans. Will head coach Dwane Casey play these three as well as Joseph? Where do youngsters such as Hayes, Hamidou Diallo and end-of-bench guys like Kevin Knox and Isaiah Livers fit in? Seeing the complexities of this rotation develop over the course of next season will be very interesting to watch.
The Pistons will want to see progression, particularly from Cunningham, Bey and Stewart after already playing a full season together. If this team wants to be taken seriously, they will have to rank better than 28th and 25th for offensive and defensive rating. The pieces they’ve added will take time to develop offensively, Dwane Casey will want to see commitment and dedication to the defensive end. Ideally, the team would want to make small strides to being a team outside of the play-in tournament. If the Pistons can rank just outside the top 20 in both offensive and defensive metrics, it will show that the team is progressing in the right direction.
This Pistons team just isn’t ready yet to be competing for playoff spots. And that’s okay. This team will want to be built gradually and organically, even if it takes years to reach their full potential. The players they’ve accumulated in the past 3 drafts all bring great upside, just as long as the team doesn’t rush the process like they did throughout the 2010s. I’m predicting the Pistons to win 26 games this season; a slight improvement on last season, while still suffering growing pains as they get games into their youngsters. It will be a big sophomore year for Cunningham, who could have a big year stat-wise as he gets fully comfortable playing at the highest level. It’s going to be a big year for Bey and Stewart, who will need to repay the faith the Pistons have put in them by producing at a high level for this team. It would also be awesome to see Bagley III get a real good go on-court this season. If he can remain committed and stay injury-free, he has the ability to average a double-double and be a key cog in the Pistons’ offense.