2010-11 NBA Predictions: Questions Trump All Optimism For Detroit Pistons
It is mid-October, which means another exciting year of Detroit Pistons basketball is around the corner. The die-hard Pistons fans are gearing up for another trip to the Conference Finals, maybe a big trade or two to solidify our spot among the best in the East.
Wait, it is now 2010?
We did not win 30 games last year?
But that was last year—this year there is so much promise. We drafted a rookie who is going to take our breath away. We signed a big man to strengthen our post, which was nonexistent last year, and we will finally have an inside—outside attack we've been missing.
Wait, we did not really do any of those things?
On paper, the 2010 Detroit Pistons roster looks unbalanced, overpaid, old, young and sad. The enthusiasm around the state for Pistons basketball is missing. Call us spoiled, but when we were on the cusp of championships year after year, it is hard to get excited about possible lottery balls. Our state, which is getting beat up in every possible way, is getting sick of cheering for losers—minus the Wings, we love you!
Optimism is the drug which cures all ills for most sports fans, but one look down the roster, and the optimism quickly turns into questions.
The first question is, how many guards can you possibly have on a team?
Rodney Stuckey is a nice young guard with athleticism and a burst to the rack, but does he make his teammates around him better? Can he consistently knock down 20-foot jumpers so the defense has to extend out on him? Does he turn the corner and make us think less about Chauncey this year?
Richard Hamilton and Ben Gordon are the same player in two different-sized bodies. Rip should demand a trade to a contender because the Pistons cannot pretend they are still a player in the conference right now, and Rip could be a nice piece for a team on the verge. Gordon is a player who must play well enough for fans to forget last year and all the extra zeroes on his contract. But the fact is, he is an undersized guard who is a defensive liability and has not shown offensive or defensive consistency since putting on the blue and red.
Tracy McGrady and Will Bynum have the potential to be dynamic forces off the bench. One of them cannot stay healthy and underachieved during his prime, and the other can dazzle on one end and let his defender score on him on the other.
The second question is a lot like the first, can a team full of shoot-first point guards make the rest of the team better?
On any given night Stuckey, Bynum, Rip, Gordon and even Prince may have point guard duties. But do either of them possess the gift of making their teammates better? Getting shooters the ball at the right time? Because if neither of these guys can make the team gel, it could be a very ugly offensive season.
There are actually a thousand questions to ask about these Pistons, but the last one I'll ask is, can Joe D's last two draft classes show us something special and allow us to stop scratching our heads every time we see Joe in the press box?
Austin Daye, Jonas Jerebko, DaJuan Summers, Vernon Hamilton and Greg Monroe are all guys looked upon as the next generation of Pistons basketball. These guys need to show maturity and ability for Motown to buy into their product. Many of these names will be seeing extended minutes because of the Pistons' lack of depth.
If any of the rookies or sophmores break out and have big seasons, there may be light at the end of the Pistons' tunnel. But if fans do not see anything special, it could be a tough time getting fans into the Palace.
Personally, there is a small part of me which hopes I am way off-base and the Pistons somehow end up over .500 and look promising going forward.
Realistically, there is a much higher chance of the Pistons winning 20 games, Tay and Rip being shipped, and fans wearing their brown-paper Detroit Lions hats to the Palace.
