It's been a long road back to NBA relevancy for the Detroit Pistons. Since the 2008-09 campaign, Detroit made the playoffs only twice before this past season, enduring a post-championship hangover and being plagued by poor decisions from leadership to the roster.
A lack of success in the draft certainly played a factor in the Pistons' failing to climb out of mediocrity. It's not like Detroit lacked the ammo to do so, especially with consistent finishes below .500 during this stretch, but the team simply failed to rack up consistent hits like the ones that now have them back in the picture as a potential contender.
This lack of draft acumen stings even more considering the latest comments from a former four-time All-Star who wanted to land in the Motor City.
Boogie Cousins says he wanted to be drafted by the Pistons back in 2010!
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) June 20, 2025
“I thought it fit who I was as a person. I thought I could fit that culture.” - @boogiecousins
Would this have been a good fit?@MichelleDBeadle | @ChandlerParsons | @TeamLou23 pic.twitter.com/4MzLS61e5z
In a recent segment with FanDuel TV, former NBA big man DeMarcus "Boogie" Cousins reflected on his entry into the league. Cousins revealed he hit it off with the Pistons during his pre-draft workout, who owned the No. 7 pick. He went as far as to say it was the team he "would have liked to gone to" for "long-term success."
Boogie felt his personality and the franchise's culture were a perfect match. However, he was scooped up by the Sacramento Kings at No. 5, and he went on to establish himself as one of the most dominant big men in the 20-teens before injuries took their toll.
Cousins' comments bring up a fascinating what-if. Detroit chose Greg Monroe with the seventh selection, and while Monroe ended up being one of the team's best players through the 2014-15 season, he never came close to Boogie's production.
Cousins certainly wouldn't have been able to save the Pistons alone. But his almost instant development into one of the league's best, followed by a four-season stretch (2015-2018) where he averaged 25.9 PPG, 11.9 RPG, and 4.2 APG, would've given Detroit a true star talent to build around. He's the exact kind of player others would want to join forces with, and the Pistons' history of being aggressive with acquisitions could've created another championship team.
Of course, there's no telling if Cousins becomes the same player, or if he'd have had better injury luck as a Piston. All of Detroit's failures have also led them to this point, where they own one of the league's most exciting young rosters. Still, it's fun to wonder how Boogie may have changed this franchise's course.