DETROIT – The new-look Detroit Pistons completely overhauled their franchise this off-season by inserting new players, coaches, and staff members to remove the stench of being the worst team in the league.
The Pistons finished the 2023-24 season with the worst record in franchise history. They only won 14 games while dropping 68, of which 28 were consecutive losses, the longest single-season losing streak in league history.
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The Detroit Bad Boys were just bad boys under former head coach Monty Williams, who couldn’t find a rotational spot for Detroit native Jaden Ivey and the rest of his talented budding stars as youth and injuries were the primary cause for the disastrous season.
Franchise guard Cade Cunningham missed 62 games last season due to injury, while big man Jalen Duren played in 19 games last season.
With your two main cogs gone for the majority of the season, like any team, they were bound to fail, which brought about a clean-house situation this past off-season.
Change starts at the top, and Pistons Owner Tom Gores replaced General Manager Troy Weaver with new President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon, who hired J.B. Bickerstaff for some reason was let go after leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to the second round of the playoffs.
Bickerstaff hired Luke Walton, Kevin Burleson, Sidney Lowe, Fred Vinson, Vitaly Potapenko, Josh Estes, and Jerome Allen as assistant coaches to his staff.
The team re-signed Cunnigham and Simone Fontecchio. They added Malik Beasley (free agent), former Michigan Wolverines guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (trade), Tobias Harris (free agent), Wendell Moore Jr. (trade), Paul Reed (free agent), Ron Holland (No. 5 pick) and Bobi Klintman (No. 37).
They lost Buddy Boeheim (OKC Thunder), Taj Gibson (to Hornets), Quentin Grimes (to Mavericks), James Wiseman (to Pacers), Troy Brown Jr., Malachi Flynn, Evan Fournier, Chimezie Metu and Jared Rhoden.
The Pistons and their fanbase want Cunningham to take the next step in his career and become an all-star after he signed a five-year, $224 million contract extension.
But the team has to have a winning record or at least a reasonable one if he and the Pistons want to join the Playoff wave Detroit has been experiencing with the Lions and Tigers have done thus far.
As long as Cunningham stays healthy and Langdon continues to surround him with elite shooting while Duren and Isaiah Stewart are defending the rim while Ausar Thompson roams the perimeter, they’ll at least have a shot at making the NBA Play-In Tournament.
The Pistons will host the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday (Oct. 23) at 7 p.m. inside Little Caesars Arena.
