NBA Team Preview: Detroit Pistons

The 2020-21 season for the Detroit Pistons went about as poorly as expected, and there isn’t much optimism for this season as well. Detroit is currently going through a lengthy rebuild process, and it’s going to take some time for them to be competitive.

Detroit is a team that has some interesting young pieces on the roster, including Cade Cunningham. Cunningham was the number 1 draft pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, and the Pistons will now try to build a roster around their young star. 

There are going to be some growing pains along the way for the Pistons, but this team also should be fun to watch as the young talent continues to mature. 

Big Additions

The biggest addition that will have an impact this season is the selection of Cunningham. There are some years in which there is some debate about the top prospect, but that wasn’t the case at all for the 2021 NBA Draft.

Detroit also selected Isaiah Livers and Luka Garza in the NBA Draft and those will be two other pieces worth watching this season. Livers is a known talent as he spent his college career at Michigan. 

In free agency, the biggest splash that the Pistons made was signing Kelly Olynk. Olynk is a veteran that can provide some outside shooting and scoring for Detroit, and he was signed to a three-year deal. 

Impactful Subtractions

This roster needed a serious upgrade, and there weren’t really any big pieces that the Pistons couldn’t afford losing. Both Wayne Ellington and Mason Plumlee are no longer with the team, and that could hurt the Pistons in terms of depth and leadership. 

Detroit was not ready to contend at this time, and there was simply no reason to keep those players on the roster. The Pistons also sent Jahlil Okafor to the Brooklyn Nets for DeAndre Jordan, but the team wasted no time in releasing the veteran center. 

Key Players

Even though Cunningham is the future of the Detroit Pistons, he isn’t the most important player on this team. Detroit has been stockpiling some young talent for the last few seasons, and the Pistons need some of their other players to lead the way.

Jerami Grant averaged more than 22 points per game a season ago, and he will once again be tasked with being the lead scoring option in Detroit. Killian Hayes has proven that he can be an elite playmaker for the Pistons, but now he has to prove that he can stay healthy. 

Detroit Pistons Future Odds

Online sports betting for the Detroit Pistons is now available in the form of future betting. The NBA betting lines are going to be changing throughout the season, but it’s hard to see the odds for Detroit getting any better as the year moves on. 

The Pistons have odds set at +25000 to win the NBA Championship this season, which is tied for the worst odds in the league. Detroit could be one of the first teams eliminated from postseason contention, and the NBA betting odds would then go off the board.

The NBA Central Division is not expected to be that strong this season, but the Pistons are still listed at just +12000 to win the title. Milwaukee is the clear favorite in the Central Division at -750.

If you are going to bet online when it comes to the Pistons then the best bet to make is on the projected win total. The current projected win total is set at just 24.5 games, with favorable odds for taking the over.

* All odds provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.