There will be a ton of soul-searching in Detroit after the crushing Game 7 loss to the Cavs on Sunday. Fingers will be pointed towards certain players, the coaching staff, and the front office. But who is most to blame for the Pistons' disappointing Round 2 exit?
It would be reasonable to suggest that this outcome is not disappointing. That is what head coach JB Bickerstaff did last night. No one was expecting this team to win 60 games and win the East before the season. They are still young and have many years before their prime. So, the fact that they lost in Game 7 in the second round can't be too big a disappointment.
At the same time, the Eastern Conference was wide open. With a few minor tweaks, the Pistons could have had enough to beat the Cavs and the Knicks. That, along with not being competitive at home in Game 7, has to be disappointing.
Pistons front office deserves the blame for the Round 2 exit
That is also why the front office has to take the lion's share of blame. In the first half of the season, the Pistons showed that they can be title contenders. They were an elite defense and the best team in the East. Instead of strengthening the roster at the trade deadline, GM Trajan Langdon decided to stand pat. Besides the move to trade Jaden Ivey for Kevin Huerter, the Pistons rode their core.
The shortcomings of this group were obvious. There was not enough shooting and shot creation on this team. Cade Cunningham had to carry too big an offensive burden. Against good defensive teams, the Pistons didn't have enough offensive firepower to keep up.
It's not like the Pistons needed to trade for a superstar. Bringing in a capable offensive player who can play on or off the ball like Coby White, could have done wonders for this team.
The front office's desire to play it slow is understandable. Yet, there is a good chance that this was Detroit's best chance to win the East. Over the next year, both Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson will sign new contracts. The Pistons will be an expensive team with less financial flexibility. At that point, surrounding them with capable role players will be more difficult.
This isn't to say that GM Langdon deserves all the blame. No one could have seen that Jalen Duren was going to fall off a cliff in the playoffs. If he looked like the player he was in the regular season, the Pistons were probably in the Conference Finals right now. Bickerstaff could have been quicker to make adjustments and could have relied on Duren less.
While these are all true, the front office likely played it too safe. A more aggressive trade deadline could have pushed the Pistons closer to contention. That is a painful reality to accept for Pistons fans.
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