Detroit Pistons fans have the right to be frustrated about their offseason. While a lot of their Eastern Conference rivals made splashy additions to upgrade their rosters, the Pistons were quieter than expected. They have largely made moves on the margins, with the biggest change being a John Collins-for-Tobias Harris swap. In a summer where a lot of stars changed teams, this was certainly disappointing.
However, the Pistons' chances of contending in the Eastern Conference are still getting seriously underrated. Many fans and analysts seem to have forgotten that the Pistons won 60 games and were easily the most dominant team in the East last season. Assuming that Jalen Duren is back, there is no reason to think that the Pistons will be worse next season.
Sure, winning 60 games may not be possible since the East got significantly stronger. With the changed lottery rules that disincentivize losing, wins will be harder to come by. Yet, there are no teams in the East that the Pistons should be fearing other than the New York Knicks.
Despite frustrating offseason, the Pistons are still in a good spot in the East
The Knicks have played at a level in the playoffs that no team in the East has proven that they can rise to. A couple of teams, like the Sixers, Raptors, or the Pacers, could theoretically get there, but there are many question marks surrounding all of those teams.
It's easy to be attracted to the new, shiny objects. The star-studded Sixers, the Giannis-Adebayo duo in Miami, Kawhi's return to Toronto, and Indiana with Haliburton back at the helm all offer an intriguing upside.
But the Pistons will have the benefit of continuity and availability. They arguably still have the best player in the East in Cade Cunningham. They have a young team that will miss few games and has a proven winning formula.
Can LeBron James and Joel Embiid stay healthy? Can Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum play at an All-NBA level for a full season? Does Miami have enough talent around its All-Star duo? Will Toronto's Kawhi Leonard trade even go through?
Those are some massive questions Detroit's rivals are dealing with.
The Knicks, on the other hand, stand above the rest. They only lost Mitchell Robinson from their title-winning team, and how big a loss that is is debatable after his playoff struggles. They likely still have the best talent and highest ceiling in the conference.
Thus, New York being a clear favorite in most power rankings and betting markets makes sense. How the Pistons are not right behind them, however, is difficult to understand. Everyone seems to be overreacting to the playoffs and the lack of big offseason moves, but Pistons fans should enter the season with a lot of confidence that they are still a top-two team in the East.
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