Pistons Kool-Aid-Free Season Preview
55 MINS AGO - Can the Pistons finally stay healthy enough to make noise in the East? A few weeks ago, I started Expand
55 MINS AGO - Can the Pistons finally stay healthy enough to make noise in the East? A few weeks ago, I started writing a “Kool-Aid” post to round up the whole series of previews heading into the season. But I have to admit, I’m all out of sugar.
And I’m very, very tired of Reggie Jackson’s injuries sending this team into the abyss.
During the past two seasons, the chasm between the Detroit Pistons’ performance with and without a healthy starting PG was just far too wide to make any kind of sense. Maybe you can blame coach SVG for failing to adjust. Maybe you can blame President SVG for failing to plan for that contingency.
I blame the basketball gods.
Looking at the upcoming season, my gut feeling is that the Pistons will win between 45-50 games. However, I’ve made roughly the same prediction before the past two seasons as well.
The only time my crystal ball was “right” about the Pistons was before the 2015-16 season. That year, they were blessed with amazing health and played to their Collapse
Detroit Pistons: Five regular season games to mark on the calendar
10 HRS AGO - Everyone looks ahead to the big games throughout their favorite team’s regular season Expand
10 HRS AGO - Everyone looks ahead to the big games throughout their favorite team’s regular season schedule. The Detroit Pistons have five to mark down on the calendar. The Detroit Pistons start their regular season on Wednesday night at home against the Brooklyn Nets. I’m sure head coach Dwane Casey and his team aren’t looking any further than […]
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2018 Pistons questions: Is this the year Stanley Johnson breaks out?
15 HRS AGO - Facing a make-or-break season, can Johnson take a much-needed leap? Stanley Johnson is tired of Expand
15 HRS AGO - Facing a make-or-break season, can Johnson take a much-needed leap? Stanley Johnson is tired of the word potential.
He talked about it during training camp and, quite frankly, most Pistons fans agree. Johnson enters a crucial fourth year needing to take the next step. When Detroit opens the season against the Nets on Wednesday, Johnson will again be in the starting lineup.
His coach, this time Dwane Casey, will expect production.
Will this be the year he puts it together?
Better yet, can he put it together?
Understanding Johnson’s road to this make-or-break season is, in many ways, like the Kübler-Ross model — more commonly known as the five stages of grief. This is how it goes with every young player that shows glimpses of big-time talent but never unlocks their full potential.
It all starts with denial.
We know Johnson isn’t going to be a star. That wasn’t really the expectation when the Pistons drafted him in 2015. Johnson looked NBA-ready coming out of Arizona, his confident Collapse
Pistons respect agitating Zaza Pachulia's experience, leadership
1 DAY AGO - Backup center's passing and screen-setting abilities important for team that will rely heavily on Expand
1 DAY AGO - Backup center's passing and screen-setting abilities important for team that will rely heavily on 3-point shooting. Collapse
What are your goals for watching NBA basketball in 2018-19?
1 DAY AGO - Your number one goal should be sending positive vibes to the Pistons! Simple question — what are Expand
1 DAY AGO - Your number one goal should be sending positive vibes to the Pistons! Simple question — what are your goals for watching and/or consuming NBA basketball this season? Any new habits or mindsets you want to take on while enjoying the best sport in the world?
While I have some ideas, let’s also read yours in the comments below.
WATCH OTHER NBA TEAMS BESIDES THE PISTONS
Look, I know that there are only 24 hours in a day and often it just doesn’t seem like 24 hours is enough time to do everything we have to do and WANT to do. Believe me, though, we all tend to waste time in some way or another — so why not enjoy downtime (not wasting) watching other NBA teams.
WATCH THE PELICANS
New Orleans may have lost DeMarcus Cousins in free agency, but they added some solid pieces and still have the ever so smooth duo of Jrue Holiday and Anthony Davis.
WATCH THE RAPTORS
I think the Raptors will be A-OK this season with Kawhi Leonard. Just a hunch.
WATCH THE LAKERS
I heard that Los Angeles Collapse
Griffin puts an exclamation point on Pistons preseason with 29-point explosion
3 DAYS AGO - EAST LANSING – If Dwane Casey gets a few better nights of sleep between now and the regular-season Expand
3 DAYS AGO - EAST LANSING – If Dwane Casey gets a few better nights of sleep between now and the regular-season opener next week, he probably has Blak Collapse
Inside The Cylinder Ep. 62: Eastern Conference off-season review pt. 2
4 DAYS AGO - We also discuss our thoughts on the preseason so far Inside the Cylinder is back for another Expand
4 DAYS AGO - We also discuss our thoughts on the preseason so far Inside the Cylinder is back for another rousing episode. In this week’s show we’ll analyze the Pistons preseason thus far
Some of the topics include
Andre’s 3-point shooting and
Reggie’s injury scare gives us cause for concern
Stanley Johnson’s play in the preseason
We also continue our Eastern Conference offseason review, where we analyze the moves each EC team made this summer and give our grades. Last week we discussed the top and bottom four teams, this week we discussed the teams in the middle.
Four of these teams will make the playoffs, three will not. Tune in to find out who.
Listen and subscribe to Inside The Cylinder on iTunes
Follow Inside The Cylinder on Twitter at @InsideTheCylndr Collapse
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Can veteran Jose Calderon find a new role with Detroit Pistons?
6 HRS AGO - Jose Calderon joins a crowded Detroit Pistons point guard group. There is still a role for the Expand
6 HRS AGO - Jose Calderon joins a crowded Detroit Pistons point guard group. There is still a role for the well-traveled veteran on this team this season. Jose Calderon was brought back to the Detroit Pistons during the summer. The seasoned veteran has been all over the place during his time in the NBA. He’s played for seven […]
Can veteran Jose Calderon find a new role with Detroit Pistons? - PistonPowered - PistonPowered - Your Go-To Source For Pistons Coverage Collapse
Detroit Pistons: Can Jon Leuer bounce back in 2018-19?
10 HRS AGO - Jon Leuer is entering his third season with the Detroit Pistons. After a strong start in Expand
10 HRS AGO - Jon Leuer is entering his third season with the Detroit Pistons. After a strong start in 2016-17, his tenure has been marred by inconsistency and injuries. So where does hit fit in the rotation? Is this the year that Detroit Pistons’ forward Jon Leuer lives up to expectations, and bounces back to have a healthy […]
Detroit Pistons: Can Jon Leuer bounce back in 2018-19? - PistonPowered - PistonPowered - Your Go-To Source For Pistons Coverage Collapse
Pistons exercise two-way option on Zach Lofton, waive Reggie Hearn
1 DAY AGO - Lofton averaged 5.5 points in nine minutes per game during the preseason.
DBB Podcast: Detroit Pistons team preview with Vince Ellis
1 DAY AGO - Laz has a friendly chat with the Free Press’ Vince Ellis Hey everyone. This is Laz Jackson of Expand
1 DAY AGO - Laz has a friendly chat with the Free Press’ Vince Ellis Hey everyone. This is Laz Jackson of Detroit Bad Boys, and on this week’s podcast, we have Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press on to preview the Pistons season.
This is Vince’s eleventh year on the Pistons beat, and we get a little bit into his Sunday column on Blake Griffin, the contrast in demeanor between Stan Van Gundy and and Dwane Casey, and the knowledge he dropped on some lucky Michigan State journalism students prior to the final preaseaon game.
I was struck by the level of importance Vince placed on Blake Griffin’s mere presence on this team, and now that he’s pointed it out, it’s definitely something I will be keeping an eye on during the regular season.
As always, we appreciate your continued support of the podcast, and the best way to do that is to share, like, and leave comments - please leave comments on this post, it’s the best way for us to build the podcast according to what the fans want. Collapse
Pistons will rely on unconventional lineups at times
3 DAYS AGO - Coach Dwane Casey used two point guards at times Friday, even a four-guard set.
Detroit Pistons finish preseason with 129-110 win over Cavaliers
4 DAYS AGO - After a few inconsistent outings, the Detroit Pistons finished the preseason with a 19-point Expand
4 DAYS AGO - After a few inconsistent outings, the Detroit Pistons finished the preseason with a 19-point beat-down of the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Breslin Center. If you didn’t know before, you do now. Dwane Casey likes 3-pointers. The Detroit Pistons went 21-for-45 (46.7 percent) from beyond the arc on Friday night, as they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers […]
Detroit Pistons finish preseason with 129-110 win over Cavaliers - PistonPowered - PistonPowered - Your Go-To Source For Pistons Coverage Collapse
Hot-shooting Pistons close out preseason by beating Cavs
4 DAYS AGO - Blake Griffin led the way with 29 points and Andre Drummond scored 21.
Pistons vs. Cavs preview: Pistons head into preseason finale with 27th ranked offense
4 DAYS AGO - They need to figure out how to make some buckets before heading into the real thing. Game Expand
4 DAYS AGO - They need to figure out how to make some buckets before heading into the real thing. Game Vitals
When: Friday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m.Where: Breslin Center, East Lansing, MIWatch: Fox Sports Detroit
Analysis
This can’t be what Dwane Casey envisioned for his new team’s offense. Andre Drummond hoisting 19 shots per game with a 47 percent true shooting percentage. 12 shots per game from Stanley Johnson with a 35 percent TS. Johnson and Ish Smith combining for 13 three point attempts per game, despite shooting 25 and 22 percent respectively.
Gross.
Yes, it’s just the preseason. But the team really ought to be giving some indication that they have the ability to be more competent than this. That Drummond has any clue about the type of player he needs to be to actually help the team be successful. That Jackson can still actually get to the rim - only three of his 13 shots so far have been inside the paint. That Johnson actually belongs anywhere near the court.
It’s not been a great preseason so Collapse
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Pistons convert Zach Lofton to a Two-Way contract, release Reggie Hearn
1 DAY AGO - Who says preseason doesn’t matter? As the deadline approaches to get rosters down to the regular Expand
1 DAY AGO - Who says preseason doesn’t matter? As the deadline approaches to get rosters down to the regular season maximum of 15 players, the Pistons have made a move that a lot of people were expecting based on the preseason. Detroit has converted guard Zach Lofton to a two-way contract and released Reggie Hearn, according to James Edwards III of the Athletic.
Sources: The #Pistons have converted guard Zach Lofton to a two-way deal. The rookie impressed many throughout camp. Here's my story on the man who played at five different colleges and capitalized on another opportunity:https://t.co/ZrTbZ5VQRp— James Edwards III (@JLEdwardsIII) October 15, 2018
Reggie Hearn, who was previously on a two-way deal, will be released, per source. https://t.co/rLX9g6jCvj— James Edwards III (@JLEdwardsIII) October 15, 2018
Zach Lofton received a lot more playing time during the preseason than Reggie Hearn, so this isn’t much of a surprise. Lofton also put together a very solid preseason with the Collapse
Detroit Pistons: Three takeaways from the preseason
2 DAYS AGO - There were good and bad moments from the preseason for the Detroit Pistons. What can we take from Expand
2 DAYS AGO - There were good and bad moments from the preseason for the Detroit Pistons. What can we take from these five games going into the home opener? The Detroit Pistons finished the preseason with a 2-3 record. It’s fair to say they ended it on the right foot. The Pistons thumped the Cleveland Cavaliers on their […]
Detroit Pistons: Three takeaways from the preseason - PistonPowered - PistonPowered - Your Go-To Source For Pistons Coverage Collapse
Postgame Quotes - October 12, 2018
3 DAYS AGO - HEAD COACH DWANE CASEY
Pistons vs Cavs final score: Detroit takes, makes a bunch of threes, win 129-110
4 DAYS AGO - The Pistons should try this “Making Shots” strategy more often The Detroit Pistons shot 45 threes Expand
4 DAYS AGO - The Pistons should try this “Making Shots” strategy more often The Detroit Pistons shot 45 threes and made TWENTY-ONE of them. That’s 47 percent for a full game, and that’s the big story of tonight’s win over the Kevin-Love-less, Cedi-Osman-less Cleveland Cavaliers. Blake Griffin scored 29 points (on a mere 17 shots) in three quarters, Andre Drummond put up 21 points and 15 rebounds (oh-fer from three), and Langston Galloway put up 15 points (four of eight from three) off the bench for Detroit.
Takeaways from this game:
That Blake Griffin guy is good at basketball
Blake was dominant tonight, getting to the rim off post mismatches at will, going three-of-four from downtown, and dishing out five assists. He had three dunks of varying levels of posterization, and just generally looked healthy and ready for the season to begin. The Blake Griffin who showed up for the Pistons tonight is an All-Star, easily.
Blake don't waste those dunks in preseason your legs are made of glass Collapse
Pistons vs Cavs GameThread: Game time, TV, and more
4 DAYS AGO - Game Vitals
When: Friday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m.Where: Breslin Center, East Lansing, MIWatch: Fox Expand
4 DAYS AGO - Game Vitals
When: Friday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m.Where: Breslin Center, East Lansing, MIWatch: Fox Sports Detroit
Projected Lineup
Pistons (1-3)Reggie Jackson, Reggie Bullock, Stanley Johnson, Blake Griffin, Andre Drummond
Cleveland CavaliersCollin Sexton, George Hill, Cedi Osman, Sam Dekker, Larry Nance Jr.
Pregame Reading
DBB game preview
Fear the Sword season preview Collapse
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