While the Detroit Pistons ended the 2021-22 campaign with a 23-59 record and in 14th place in the Eastern Conference, it was a season full of progress and development. For a team that has made the playoffs just twice in the last 13 years, it is important they rebuild the right way this time and bring in the right pieces to help the club moving forward.
The Pistons will have another top draft pick to use on selecting a young star, but they will have to wait until after the NBA Draft Lottery to know exactly what spot they will be drafting from. They have the third-best odds of getting the number one overall pick for the second year in a row. Last year, they took Cade Cunningham, who looks like he will become a superstar in the league.
“We’re gonna look at everything. I can say we’re going continue to be aggressive, turn over every rock, vet it out and try to come back better as a team, whether that’s one guy, two guys, three guys,” Pistons general manager Troy Weaver said, via Mlive.com. “We’re gonna be aggressive in our approach, and make sure that we come out ready to go and hopefully put a better product on the floor.”
While the team only finished with 23 wins, it was more than the 20 they claimed last year and Weaver acknowledged the entire franchise is still learning and developing.
“I’m right in there with the coaches, and I think I got better as the season (progressed),” Weaver continued. “Coach (Dwane Casey) and I talked about this, I didn’t give coach enough tools and the Bagley trade was a big tool for us. We didn’t have enough athleticism upfront. We needed to address that, and we did. I feel better for the team that we were able to acquire that young man and give us a tool we didn’t have. I think as the year went on, I continued to grow and find my footing. Like the team, it’s a big summer for the front office and myself. I’m looking forward to that challenge as well.”
The important thing for the Pistons going forward is to compose a squad that is built to win while also being sustainable. It is for this reason that the upcoming draft is another crucial one for Detroit as they look to bring in another young talent who can help the franchise for years to come.
“I mean, the expectations are what they are,” Weaver said. “But we’re gonna stay true to our building process. And like I say, I’ll never put a cap on our team. And in this process, we’re gonna stay with our core values and get the right people here. Listen to me we have some money this summer and like anything else, we’re going to be aggressive and turn over every rock to improve the team. And I don’t want it to be ‘the year.’ I want it to be like I said, I want to be around. I don’t want us to be a flash in the pan like you know Milli Vanilli. When we get there, we want to stay there. So we want to be built to last. So that’s the approach we’ll continue to take.”
The Pistons last won an NBA championship in 2004 and Weaver would love nothing more than to end the drought in the near future.
