Detroit Pistons’ Improvement Evident in ESPN Projections
By Zac Snyder
ESPN is out with their projections for next season and while they only see a modest record improvement, they like the Detroit Pistons to rise in the East.
The Detroit Pistons didn’t make the NBA’s biggest splash in the offseason but they were able to include several key positions. Ish Smith and Jon Leuer come in as upgrades over their predecessors and Boban Marjanovic adds frontcourt depth and protection in case Aron Baynes opts out of his contract after next season.
With the bulk of the league’s player movement done for the Summer, ESPN has published their annual Summer forecast. The Pistons’ improvement shows up slightly in their projected 2016-17 record but more so in their projected finish in the Eastern Conference.
After finishing the regular season at 44-38 last season – good for the eighth seed in the playoffs – the ESPN projection sees a modest one-win improvement to 45-37 next season, but a jump into a tie for the fourth spot in the East with the Indiana Pacers.
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The following commentary is provided with the Pistons’ ranking:
"The Pistons are bringing back virtually the same roster they fielded last postseason, which would explain an increase of only one win by our panel. Last season, the Pistons didn’t have many peaks or valleys: They never finished a month more than three games above or below .500."
With a young core returning and the improvements made to the roster in the offseason, the hope is that the peaks are maximized while the valleys are minimized such that the Pistons can pull further away from the .500 mark than they did last season.
The Eastern Conference saw a log jam in the middle of the playoff picture last season and the ESPN projection sees the same with the Pistons and Pacers at 45 wins, the Hawks at 44 and the Charlotte Hornets at 43. Only one of those teams would have home-court advantage in a first round series.
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The Eastern Conference continues to improve as a whole so while a one-game improvement seems disappointing as we sit today, rising into the top-half of the playoff picture, regardless of the record it takes to get there, is a step in the right direction.