Judging by the expert opinions, last year was not an aberration. Most predictions have the Pistons winning roughly 30 games. Kelly Dwyer of Yahoo Sports puts the win total at just 19. If that were to happen, the Pistons might actually regain a popular foothold once again. Fans around here tend to love the very good and the very bad. It's those middling teams that have trouble attracting interest. Besides, with just 19 wins, they'd surely get a top 3 pick, and we know how much Detroiters love a good draft.
What's my take?
The Pistons were a tough sell last season. Not only were they coming off the worst season in a decade, they blew their cap space on two players who failed to excite the fan base. I was a big Ben Gordon fan and figured he'd continue on his 20ppg pace. I also didn't mind the Charlie V signing, as I remember him as a versatile big man who could put up points in a variety of ways. As a Piston, Charlie V showed off his offensive skills every 8th night or so. In between, he'd float in and out of the lineup with little fanfare. Ben Gordon started the season in fine form and then hit a wall. Whether it was nagging injuries, lack of chemistry with new team, or a private personal matter, BG sorta sucked. Through nine games, BG averaged a sterling 24.3 ppg. That tenth game - against Dallas - BG shot an unconscionable 1-16. That night stuck with him the entire season. He reached that 24 point plateau just four times the rest of the season. In fact, he only topped 30 points once - the 4th-to-last game against a Miami team resting their starters. What the heck happened?
It was a season-long slump. The Pistons must hope it's not a season-ending slump. BG needs to regain that scoring touch, and, if he does, Joe D needs to trade him. I'm increasingly buying into the belief that Rip will stay a Piston. NBA trades are all about contracts, and Rip's got too many years remaining. BG has an even longer contract, but he's significantly younger. That may make his salary more palatable, and it's possible his stellar playoff performance in 2009 is still fresh in other GM's minds. Not likely, but possible.
Trading Gordon will free up minutes for Stuckey at the 2. The Pistons can focus on a three-guard rotation of Bynum, Stuckey, and Hamilton, and hopefully free up cap-space with no Gordon contract.
With or without Gordon, though, this team is in trouble for the 2010-11 season. They're unbalanced both offensively and defensively. They've got no center, and only two true power forwards. It's no wonder they had chemistry problems last year. I expect that to continue to the tune of 25 wins and 57 losses.
With ownership in flux, a sagging Michigan economy, fan apathy, and no Tom Wilson, it's gonna be a long year. Perhaps it's a good thing Fox took the games off my Dish? For Patrick Hayes' excellent take on why we should watch the Stones, click here.
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