The Detroit Pistons have been one of the most hapless franchises in recent NBA history. Now, Coach JB Bickerstaff has been tasked with revitalizing the Pistons' franchise after being hired in place of former coach Monty Williams.
Detroit finished 17-65 last season, a record that included a 28-game losing streak, tied for the longest in NBA history with the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 Philadelphia 76ers.
Now that the latest NBA schedule has been revealed, it's time to predict the Pistons' record for the 2024-2025 season.
The Pistons' upcoming season will include the presence of a former Detroit star who could lead the team to more wins. Meanwhile, the Pistons' 2024 free agency grades were handed out.
The Pistons' schedule includes a challenging In-Season Tournament bracket and plenty of rivalry games. Detroit will be challenged, giving Bickerstaff the opportunity to prove his coaching mettle for owner Tom Gores' team.
Preseason begins Oct. 13
The Pistons have a little less than two months to get the ball rolling on their 2024-2025 development as a unit.
Detroit's roster is strong at the guard and forward positions but appears weak at the center and power forward positions, unless Jalen Duren turns into the second coming of Ben Wallace, which could happen at some point in his career but is not likely to happen this season.
Ten days later, the regular season begins on October 23. Expect the Pistons to perform well in the preseason with so many young and hungry players on the roster. From there, the real challenge begins.
Pistons' fall schedule includes In-Season Tournament
The Pistons will tip off the 2024-2025 season against last year's Eastern Conference finalist Indiana. The Pacers poached Detroit center James Wiseman from the Pistons' roster this offseason which could spell trouble for Detroit.
Wiseman is bigger than most of Detroit's front line and he will have the luxury of backing up Myles Turner this season. Detroit's big man tandem of Duren and Isaiah Stewart could be exposed in this matchup which could put Pistons GM Tom Gores and General Manager Trajan Langdon on high alert for a potential early or mid-season trade.
The Pistons' NBA Cup (In-Season Tournament) bracket includes the Toronto Raptors, Milwaukee Bucks, and Miami Heat. This could be where the Pistons and Coach Bickerstaff's roster shines next season.
Expect the Pistons to steal a game or two nobody expects en route to a second-place finish behind the Pacers in the tournament. Cade Cunningham will shine in a starring role for Detroit, outdueling Jimmy Butler, Giannis Antetokounmpo and other NBA Cup stars en route to a franchise revitalizing performance.
Pistons' Winter schedule looks daunting
The Pistons will have their work cut out for them during the dog days of winter with opponents including the Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics and New York Knicks on the schedule in January and February.
This will simultaneously be good for the development of the Pistons' young players and bad for the Pistons' record. Expect the Pistons to struggle mightily during this time frame and ultimately fall out of playoff contention.
Detroit's lack of size on the interior of the offense and defense will be exposed with Duren and Stewart likely suffering minor injuries, nicks and bruises along the way. Detroit's offseason loss of Wiseman will prove to be their kryptonite in an Eastern Conference patrolled by talented big men including Kristaps Porzingis, Turner, Mitchell Robinson and Brook Lopez.
Pistons finish season with a losing record
The Detroit Pistons will ultimately finish their 2024-2025 season with a losing record. Expect Detroit to finish between 15 and 25 games under the .500 mark and Bickerstaff to lose his marbles on the sidelines more than a few times.
Bickerstaff's fiery disposition will galvanize Pistons fans, but it won't be enough to get Detroit over the hump in the NBA's Central Division.
Detroit fans will witness fine seasons from Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren. This will be the season that Detroit's new GM Langdon will use to gather intel on what the Pistons will need to contend going forward.
Detroit is in better hands heading into the 2024-2025 season than they were last year with Monty Williams, but they simply won't have enough size and depth to compete with the beasts of the East this season unless the Wallace brothers (Rasheed and Ben) discover a mythical fountain of youth and rejoin the Pistons.
Final record prediction
The Detroit Pistons will start off strong and run out of steam in the middle of the season as injuries and lack of rebounding and defense take their toll.
The Pistons will finish with a 34-48 record, a poor record but still a noteworthy improvement for an organization that hasn't shown enough promise to warrant any sort of positive discussion in recent years.
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