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The Detroit Pistons are coming off of a 2018-19 campaign in which they won 41 games, captured the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference and were swept in the first round of the playoffs.
For years, the Pistons have been a classic treadmill team: good enough to contend for a playoff spot, but not good enough to actually do anything in the playoffs and, in turn, not bad enough to land a really good draft pick.
Now, heading into the 2019-20 season, not much has changed. Detroit is still decent and may make the playoffs in the weak East, but it appears to be far from a legitimate contender.
Nevertheless, here are five bold predictions for the Pistons going into this coming season:
5. Their Young Guys will Show Some Development
Detroit does not have a whole lot of young talent, but it does have two interesting names to keep an eye on in terms of development: Luke Kennard and Bruce Brown.
Kennard is entering his third NBA season and is turning into a very good three-point shooter, with some even comparing him to Kyle Korver. He isn't a great defender, so he doesn't have a whole lot of three-and-D potential, but, at the very least, he could end up being a rather lethal marksman, which is certainly significant in today's game.
As for Brown, the guard is entering his second season and is coming off of a rather abysmal rookie year in which he averaged 4.3 points per game while shooting 39.8 percent from the floor and 25.8 percent from three-point range, but he just had a phenomenal Summer League that had many buzzing.
Of course, Summer League is Summer League, but Brown is worth watching in addition to Kennard this year.
4. They'll Try to Trade Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson is entering the final year of his deal and is set tom make $18.1 million for the 2019-20 campaign.
He is certainly a bit overpaid, but he will be a free agent at the end of the year, and his salary isn't so bad where he will be an impossible player to move.
At this point, Jackson is what he is: he is a guy who can go on scoring binges and take over games for stretches, but, for the most part, he is an inefficient volume scorer who isn't much of an outside shooter. Think an older version of Terry Rozier.
Most likely, the Pistons will not be re-signing the 29-year-old, which could open the door to them potentially trading him before the February trade deadline.
Obviously, it depends on where Detroit is in the standings, but even if the Pistons are in the hunt for one of the lower seeds in the playoff race, is making the playoffs and losing in the first round worth not being able to extract any value out of a guy who is just going to walk next summer anyway?
3. They Could Explore Trading Andre Drummond
Trading Reggie Jackson is one thing. Trading Andre Drummond is another.
Drummond is one of Detroit's two best players, with Blake Griffin being the clear No. 1. But, like Jackson, he is essentially entering a contract year, as he has a player option for the 2020-21 campaign that is hard to imagine him exercising.
Do the Pistons really want to extend Drummond and sink a good portion of their money into him for the long haul? That hasn't worked out thus far, so it's difficult to envision that changing in the future.
For that reason, Detroit could get frisky and potentially try to move Drummond by the deadline. Is it likely? No, as All-Star caliber players rarely get moved in-season, but it is something the Pistons could consider.
2. Blake Griffin will Lead the Pistons to the Playoffs
People overlook just how great Blake Griffin was this past season, as he had one of the best years of his career.
The guy who formerly couldn't shoot has developed into a very reliable three-point threat, and his ability to handle the ball and pass it is mostly unparalleled among other players his size.
Griffin is good enough on his own to take the Pistons to the playoffs in the watered-down Eastern Conference, and that is probably what will end up happening so long as he stays healthy.
Obviously, staying on the court is the main thing for Griffin, but he actually played in 75 games this past season, the first time he played 70 games in a single season since the 2013-14 campaign.
Unfortunately, a late-season knee injury compromised him and caused him to miss half of Detroit's first-round playoff series, but hopefully, he can remain healthy for all of 2019-20.
1. The Pistons will Enter 2020-21 with Tons of Flexibility
Even if the Pistons don't trade Jackson or Drummond before the deadline, I don't think Detroit will be re-signing either player when the time comes next summer.
Again, the Pistons have been there, done that with those two guys, and they have been starving for financial flexibility for over a decade. If those two players walk, they will finally have some.
I'm not saying Detroit will be able to land any big-name free agents next summer, but it will allow both Jackson and Drummond to walk, which will give the franchise some wiggle room for the future.
It will be tough for the Pistons to sign any stars, as Detroit is not exactly a desirable destination, but, at the very least, it will allow them to make some shrewd signings and feel more comfortable in general.
