# Will the Pistons make the playoffs?



## Damian Necronamous (Jun 10, 2002)

Before I get into the Pistons, let's first take a look at some of last year's Eastern Conference playoff teams that aren't a lock to return...
- Atlanta: They shipped out Joe Johnson and replaced him with Devin Harris, Anthony Morrow and Lou Williams. Talentwise, that may not be a crazy drop off. However, they no longer have anything close to a go-to scorer.

- Philadelphia: They've lost Elton Brand and Lou Williams and have only replaced them with Nick Young and a couple mid-late 1st Rd picks

- Orlando: This team is going to deal Dwight and they are going to suck. Hard.

That being said, will the Pistons have what it takes to claim one of these up-for-grabs playoff spots? You have to think the Nets will take one of them, but after that it is really wide open.

Brandon Knight...Will Bynum
Rodney Stuckey...Corey Maggette
Tayshaun Prince...Kyle Singler...Austin Daye
Greg Monroe...Jonas Jerebko...Charlie Villanueva
Andre Drummond...Jason Maxiell

Clearly, a lot depends on the development of Andre Drummond, but Knight and Monroe seem to have what it takes to become All-Star caliber players. If they keep progressing, I see Detroit as a real threat in the coming years.


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## Basel (Mar 31, 2005)

I can see them possibly sneaking in as an 8 seed.


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## Luke (Dec 7, 2008)

Probably not next year.


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## RollWithEm (Jul 16, 2002)

Top 4 will likely be Miami, Boston, New York, and Brooklyn. Chicago (even without DRose for a long time) will still probably get in. Indy is pretty much a lock for a top 6 seed as well. That leaves two spots for what will be a much improved Toronto team, Philly, a significantly upgraded (IMO) Washington Wizards squad, Milwaukee (with a full season of the Monta/Jennings backcourt), and Detroit.

If I had to choose today, I'd go with Philly to get the 7th seed and Washington to edge out Toronto for the 8th seed. I think Detroit is still about 10th or 11th best (despite being ahead of Orlando and Atlanta).


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## ATLien (Jun 18, 2002)

What have the Knicks done to jump from 7th to 3rd? Would still expect Indiana to be better.


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## Luke (Dec 7, 2008)

You think Atlanta is going to be that bad?


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## Floods (Oct 25, 2005)

This year, not a chance.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

RollWithEm said:


> Top 4 will likely be Miami, Boston, New York, and Brooklyn. Chicago (even without DRose for a long time) will still probably get in. Indy is pretty much a lock for a top 6 seed as well. That leaves two spots for what will be a much improved Toronto team, Philly, a significantly upgraded (IMO) Washington Wizards squad, Milwaukee (with a full season of the Monta/Jennings backcourt), and Detroit.
> 
> If I had to choose today, I'd go with Philly to get the 7th seed and Washington to edge out Toronto for the 8th seed. I think Detroit is still about 10th or 11th best (despite being ahead of Orlando and Atlanta).


Brookyln, why? Joe Johnson? It's going under the radar because they've "done stuff" but they're having one of the worst offseasons in the league. They've made a lot of noise, but all they've done is lock themselves in as a mediocre (at best) team for the next 5 years with little to no cap flexibility. They owe over a quarter billion to Williams, Johnson, Wallace and Lopez over the next 4 years. 

At the end of the day, all they were able to do was bring back their guys (Williams, Wallace and Lopez) from a shitty team and add arguably the worst contract in the league, albeit for a pretty good player. Will they make the playoffs? Probably. They're not contending for anything though, and they've pretty much guaranteed that they won't be any time soon.

As for Detroit, I don't see them coming close to the playoffs. I do think Washington will.


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## RollWithEm (Jul 16, 2002)

hobojoe said:


> Brookyln, why? Joe Johnson? It's going under the radar because they've "done stuff" but they're having one of the worst offseasons in the league. They've made a lot of noise, but all they've done is lock themselves in as a mediocre (at best) team for the next 5 years with little to no cap flexibility. They owe over a quarter billion to Williams, Johnson, Wallace and Lopez over the next 4 years.
> 
> At the end of the day, all they were able to do was bring back their guys (Williams, Wallace and Lopez) from a shitty team and add arguably the worst contract in the league, albeit for a pretty good player. Will they make the playoffs? Probably. They're not contending for anything though, and they've pretty much guaranteed that they won't be any time soon.
> 
> As for Detroit, I don't see them coming close to the playoffs. I do think Washington will.


You are greatly underestimating what they've done. CJ Watson, Mirza Teletović, and Reggie Evans were all added to bolster that bench. Also MarShon Brooks going from being a very average starting SG to being a way above average back-up SG is a really big boost for their depth. Brooklyn will be top 4 in the East without much of a problem. I wouldn't be surprised if they went into the playoffs as the second seed.

I also wouldn't be surprised to see Indy still finish with a better record than the Knicks just like last year. Either way, the Knicks will still probably be top 5 with their offseason moves.


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## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

hobojoe said:


> Brookyln, why? Joe Johnson? It's going under the radar because they've "done stuff" but they're having one of the worst offseasons in the league. They've made a lot of noise, but all they've done is lock themselves in as a mediocre (at best) team for the next 5 years with little to no cap flexibility. They owe over a quarter billion to Williams, Johnson, Wallace and Lopez over the next 4 years.
> 
> At the end of the day, all they were able to do was bring back their guys (Williams, Wallace and Lopez) from a shitty team and add arguably the worst contract in the league, albeit for a pretty good player. Will they make the playoffs? Probably. They're not contending for anything though, and they've pretty much guaranteed that they won't be any time soon.
> 
> As for Detroit, I don't see them coming close to the playoffs. I do think Washington will.


Brooklyn's finishing top-6 in the East. If Lopez stays healthy they'll finish top-4. If they're healthy, all of the sudden their roster makes a ton of sense right now. As far as the initial question: no, Detroit isn't likely to make the playoffs this season. I think next year they'll put on a push for the 8 seed and make a leap the year after that.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

Don't see Brooklyn being a top tier team in the East, even with Chicago not having Rose. I realize they have a lot of guys who have put up numbers in their careers, but they've also done an awful lot of losing. They shouldn't have kept Lopez, he's not an efficient enough scorer to make up for the shortcomings in the rest of his game. They shouldn't have acquired Johnson because of his contract and because they don't have a contending team. I mean, I guess they've generated some enthusiasm for their new start in Brooklyn, but that's about it. They needed Howard to make the other moves worthwhile, now they're just going to be stuck for the foreseeable future as a pretty good team with no chance of winning anything.


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## ATLien (Jun 18, 2002)

hobojoe said:


> Don't see Brooklyn being a top tier team in the East, even with Chicago not having Rose. I realize they have a lot of guys who have put up numbers in their careers, but they've also done an awful lot of losing. They shouldn't have kept Lopez, he's not an efficient enough scorer to make up for the shortcomings in the rest of his game. They shouldn't have acquired Johnson because of his contract and because they don't have a contending team. I mean, I guess they've generated some enthusiasm for their new start in Brooklyn, but that's about it. They needed Howard to make the other moves worthwhile, now they're just going to be stuck for the foreseeable future as a pretty good team with no chance of winning anything.


Basically, they are the Hawks but probably more likable since they are in New York. I still don't get what the other New York team has done to improve. Kidd? Felton? Camby? Meh. They may move up by default with Chicago and Atlanta being worse off, but they are still a mess. I wouldn't trust Mike Woodson or Avery Johnson to run a rec team, much less an NBA franchise.


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## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

hobojoe said:


> Don't see Brooklyn being a top tier team in the East, even with Chicago not having Rose. I realize they have a lot of guys who have put up numbers in their careers, but they've also done an awful lot of losing. They shouldn't have kept Lopez, he's not an efficient enough scorer to make up for the shortcomings in the rest of his game. They shouldn't have acquired Johnson because of his contract and because they don't have a contending team. I mean, I guess they've generated some enthusiasm for their new start in Brooklyn, but that's about it. They needed Howard to make the other moves worthwhile, now they're just going to be stuck for the foreseeable future as a pretty good team with no chance of winning anything.


The top tier in the East is Miami, and that's it. The question is if a healthy Nets squad can hang with the Knicks, Pacers, Celtics, Rose-less Bulls, Sixers, and Hawks(if they get Dwight). I don't see any reason a team with two all-stars and several good supporting players can't win 44-49 games and claim a spot in the playoffs next year.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

If things go right, yea they could be. But really that's a best case scenario, and like I said they've left themselves basically stuck with that core and no chance of significantly improving it for years. That's the part that really makes me hate what they did this summer.


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## ChrisWoj (May 17, 2005)

Every once in a while the East is just awful, and 38 wins is a playoff spot. Detroit has the talent to pull off a 38-44 team with potential, that's where I see them this year if this really is the core of the future and it coheres late in the season like I expect it would. So in a season where things break right for them, and the rest of the East is in the doldrums? Yes, they can make the playoffs.

Now, I think the East has significantly improved this past year and going into this one. So I don't think that will happen. But that is what it will take for Detroit to get into the second season this year.


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## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

hobojoe said:


> If things go right, yea they could be. But really that's a best case scenario, and like I said they've left themselves basically stuck with that core and no chance of significantly improving it for years. That's the part that really makes me hate what they did this summer.


No, best case scenario is everyone stays healthy and they really push Miami in the ECF next year. "Just about right" is good health from most of the roster with Crash and Lopez missing good chunks of the season and finishing somewhere in the large second-tier in the East.


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## ChrisWoj (May 17, 2005)

Even in their own forum the Pistons are second fiddle to other teams.


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## RIP CITY (Nov 30, 2006)

The Pistons have a small chance to make the Playoffs this year. They showed last season they are capable of playing .500 ball for stretches, finishing the season 21-21. A few things would obviously have to go their way and some players are going to have to either overachieve or make strong progressions.

Right now, which is too early to predict still, I would say the East looks something like this...

1. Miami
2. Boston
3. Indiana 
4. Brooklyn
5. New York
6. Chicago
7. Philadelphia
8. Washington

The next two would be Atlanta and Milwaukee to me, with Toronto and Detroit having an outside shot. I think the Top 3 are pretty locked in barring trades/injuries. Chicago could finish as high as 4, low as 7. New York should be better but they are definitely an inconsistent team, so I could see them finishing as low as 7. I like Washington squeaking into the Playoffs this year. Like the additions they made.

Honestly I'm hoping the Pistons miss the Playoffs, they need another Lottery Pick pretty bad in my opinion. They lose their 1st Rounder if they make it and get swept in the 1st Round by Miami or Boston. Not a good trade off compared to another Lottery Pick IMO. Even before the possibility of losing the Pick came up, I thought 2013-2014 was the year to aim for the Playoffs and anything sooner would be a year ahead of schedule.


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