No Good Reason For The Detroit Pistons To Miss The Playoffs

To say the Detroit Pistons have had an up and down season would be a major understatement.  After the starting the season 3-19, the Pistons have turned their season around and are just 2 games out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with a 17-29 record.  The teams ahead of Detroit in the standings are Brooklyn, Boston and Charlotte all of which have less talent than the Pistons.

The Pistons are on a three game losing streak since losing Brandon Jennings for the season while on the road in Milwaukee.  Jennings was on fire in January averaging 20.9 points per game and was the catalyst behind the Detroit Pistons resurgence.

Stan Van Gundy and the Pistons are still adjusting to the loss of Brandon Jennings but still have the tools on offense to get the job done.  Guards DJ Augustin and Jodie Meeks have the skill to make up for Brandon Jennings perimeter shooting.  Augustin could also develop the chemistry needed to create offense for the front court given more minutes.

Even after losing Jennings for the season, the Pistons still have the talent on offense to make the playoffs. The problem for the Pistons exists on the defensive end.  As it stands today, there are five teams (including Detroit) all within three games of each other for the 7th and 8th seed in the Eastern Conference.

Of the five teams incontention, Miami (28th), Brooklyn (25th) and Charlotte (27th) all rank behind Detroit (21st) in offense, the Boston Celtics being the exception. Where the Pistons need to make up some ground is the on defensive end of the court.  The Pistons rank behind all of their playoff competitors in defense. The good news is that defense can be fixed by using a better scheme and applying effort.

With Jennings out the pressure to provide on court leadership falls to the two Pistons big men.  One of those two is going to have to step up and lead by example on the defensive end for the Pistons to lock down a playoff spot.   With the season at a turning point we will see if Greg Monroe is really worth that max contract he was chasing in the offseason.

With the level of competition that exists in the Eastern Conference there is no good reason for the Detroit Pistons to miss the playoffs.  If they do the players have noone to blame but themselves.