The 2023-24 season for the Detroit Pistons has finally arrived.
Media day will take place on Monday, where general manager Troy Weaver, head coach Monty Williams and the players will reveal their expectations and hopes for the season. After winning an NBA-worst 17 games last year, there is optimism that fortune will be better.
The preseason schedule begins Oct. 8 when the Pistons host Williams’ former team, the Phoenix Suns, at Little Caesars Arena. The regular season begins two weeks later, when the Pistons fly to Miami to face the Heat on October 25.
Here are five storylines to follow this season:
Will Cade Cunningham fly?
Cunningham’s readiness after missing most of his sophomore season due to a stress fracture in his left ankle will be the determining factor in the Pistons’ success. He will draw a lot of attention at Monday’s media day.
The signs are positive so far. Cunningham was the biggest story to come out of the USA Select Team’s scrimmage in Las Vegas with the national team ahead of the FIBA ​​World Cup in August. He led his teammates to a victory against a more experienced squad, stepping into a Luka Doncic-esque role. His worried skin no longer bothers him.
“Cade is so beautiful,” Steve Kerr to reporters in Vegas. “The injury is clearly behind him. It’s great to see him healthy, and he’s a guy who can really control a game from the point guard spot with his size and physicality, and it’s great to see him so healthy .”
If Cunningham makes the “leap” this season, we’ll have to reevaluate everything. The Pistons finally have the depth and shooting needed to compete every night. All they’re missing is a superstar to tie it all together. No pressure, Cade.
Can restricted free agents make a case?
The Pistons are walking two paths — pushing for more wins after a disappointing 17-win season, while trying to develop their young players. Killian Hayes and James Wiseman have more timelines as both will enter restricted free agency next summer. And it’s unclear if there’s a spot in the rotation for any of them.
Even though they already have Hayes, Cunningham and Jaden Ivey, the Pistons have identified point guard as a position of need this offseason. They traded for Marcus Sasser in the first round of the draft, and then traded for veteran guard and Flint native Monte Morris a week later. They now boast tremendous depth at point guard. And Hayes became expensive.
It’s no surprise that things have come to this point with the Pistons’ 2020 seventh overall pick. While Hayes is a capable ball handler and one of Detroit’s best perimeter defenders, his poor efficiency from every spot on the floor severely limits his upside and makes him a poor fit next. to other guards. It’s hard to see how he can get consistent minutes without injury, and he’s an obvious candidate to be moved in a trade.
Wiseman, who was traded to the Pistons in February, should have an easier path to playing time. Assuming Monty Williams starts over Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren, Wiseman could come off the bench as the third big. But he will compete with Marvin Bagley III for minutes. And if Wiseman doesn’t grow as a paint protector and pick-and-roll finisher, Williams may look elsewhere to round out his rotation at center.
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Will Ausar Thompson’s electric summer translate quickly?
The Pistons’ 2023 fifth overall pick had one of the franchise’s most memorable summer league performances in July. He quickly compiled a highlight reel of electric dunks, homerun passes and instinctive defensive plays. Showcasing the Swiss Army knife skills that separate him from the pack in the Overtime Elite.
On paper, he is the defensive-minded connective wing that the Pistons have lacked in recent seasons. But he’s still a rookie, and Detroit’s depth at the forward positions means he could be the Pistons’ first top-seven pick without starting the season as a starter since Troy Weaver took over in 2020.
That’s not bad. Thompson’s combination of rebounding, transition ball-handling and court vision make him a perfect fit for the second unit. But the starting line could use a lockdown defender, and Thompson is so strong in that spot in Vegas that it’s not unreasonable to think he’ll be productive on that end from Day 1. It doesn’t matter if he starts or off the bench, Thompson should play a big role.
What does Monty Williams have in mind for Joe Harris?
A bit lost in the offseason shuffle is the Pistons getting one of the best shooters in the NBA. And it speaks to their newfound depth that he’s not guaranteed an opening night role.
Harris is a career 43.7% marksman from outside – the fourth highest career average in NBA history – but was limited last season after two surgeries on his left ankle in 2021-22. After starting four straight seasons with the Brooklyn Nets, he was relegated to a bench role and averaged 20.6 minutes per game — his lowest since his sophomore season in 2015-16. But even in a down year, he hit 42.6% of his 3-pointers and recorded a true shooting percentage of 62.1%.
A 6-foot-6 wing, he will compete with Bojan Bogdanovic, Thompson, Isaiah Livers and Alec Burks for playing time. Bogdanovic and Burks are both strong shooters who hit 41% of their 3-pointers last season. Livers and Thompson should be two of the best defenders on the roster, and Livers is also a skilled shooter.
The Pistons have too many wing shooters — a good problem to have. Harris is the most accurate of the group, but he may need to offer more to stand out.
Will Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren battle in Year 2?
After Cunningham, the Pistons’ 2022 rookie duo will likely have the biggest impact on their season. Both showed flashes of stardom last season — Ivey with his electric speed and improved shooting and playmaking, and Duren with his dominant rebounding and verticality.
There is still room for both of them to improve, especially in defense. Ivey often missed screens, and Duren was often out of position when contesting shots. These are common rookie problems, but problems they need to address nonetheless.
Defense is a priority for Ivey this offseason: He recently said he has all the physical tools to be worthy on that end of the floor. The learning curve is often greater for centers — especially in today’s NBA, which rewards big men who are quick to get out of the paint. Isaiah Stewart is the only positive center defender on the Pistons right now. Duren will have every opportunity to prove himself.
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him @omarisankofa.
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For the (preseason) openers: Suns
matchups: Pistons (17-65 in 2022-23) vs. Phoenix (45-37 in 2022-23), exhibition opener.
Tipoff: 3 pm October 8; Little Caesars Arena, Detroit.
TV/radio: Bally Sports Detroit; WWJ-AM (950).