Preseason Preview

No one was sure what to expect out of a revamped Pistons team. Expectations were not high, but even so, they have not been met. The Pistons are floundering and averaging only 92.2 points per game, second lowest in the NBA, only ahead of the Nets. They don’t have the cap space to be a major player in the 2010 free agent market and the Pistons lack a real star. They need to fully commit to rebuilding by trading away Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince.

Ready to Breakout vs. Reality: Charlie Villanueva’s numbers have actually dropped in every major category. With the contract they signed him to he needed to increase his production this year and become a force inside, unfortunately this has not happened.

Over the Hill vs. Reality: Ben Wallace is actually having his best season in years, averaging 9.1 rebounds per game. Compared to his time in Cleveland where Wallace was virtually non-existent, he has come on this year. But requiring 30 minutes per game out of your offensively challenged 35 year old center is not a good sign for Detroit.

Worst Moment: From December 15 to January 11 the Pistons lost 13 straight games.

Best Moment: On November 29 without Hamilton, Prince, or Ben Gordon the Pistons beat the Hawks. Rodney Stuckey and Will Bynum both scored like they are capable of and Ben Wallace brought back memories of yesteryear as he grabbed 18 rebounds.

Best Case Scenario: The Pistons trade away Hamilton and/or Prince to get some young prospects or cap space and commit 100% to rebuilding. If this happens they won’t make the playoffs, but they might get a draft pick who can help them in the future.

Worst Case Scenario: They stay with the status quo and just miss out on the playoffs and then watch as the rest of the Eastern Conference improves around them in the offseason.

Trade Target: As stated before, Hamilton and Prince are their best assets that could help a contender. Detroit should look to move one or both of these players to get draft picks, young players, or expiring contracts in return.

NBA Midseason Reports