Pistons fans made it known in an annual survey conducted by James Edwards III of The Athletic that this is somewhat of a make-or-break year for the franchise.
Only 35.8% of the more than 2,000 fans who cast their votes believe the team is headed in the right direction, while 38.7% said they were unsure. The remaining 25.4% believe the Pistons aren’t on the right path. Edwards notes that in previous surveys he’s conducted with the fans, they tended to be more optimistic.
Regarding the question of which player needs to take the biggest leap during the upcoming season, 69% chose either Jalen Duren and Jaden Ivey. Both players had uneven second seasons under previous head coach Monty Williams and will be eligible for rookie scale extensions during the 2025 offseason. It shows that the fans believe this is a pivotal season for both lottery picks, Edwards notes.
As for this summer, the best move wasn’t a player acquisition, according to a majority of fans. Instead, the firing of former GM Troy Weaver received 62.7% of the votes.
We have more on the Pistons:
- Trajan Langdon‘s personnel moves this summer showed that the new president of basketball operations is taking a long-range approach toward building the franchise, according to Pistons.com’s Keith Langlois. Langdon added a number of veterans on one- and two-year deals to improve the team’s short-term prospects but didn’t take any roll-of-the-dice gambles that might have hindered the long-term vision. Langlois notes that the next two draft classes are deeper with more projected franchise-altering prospects than 2024’s class featured.
- Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley are two of the offseason acquisitions who might be flipped at the trade deadline, depending upon how the first 50 games shake out, according to Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press (subscription required). Hardaway, acquired in a salary dump from Dallas, and Beasley, who signed a one-year contract as a free agent, are proven gunners who could help a contender if their efficiency holds up.
- Did you miss any of the Pistons’ offseason moves? You can find our Offseason Check-In right here.
At some point, they’ll have to pick their vets. I know that TD might garner some more assets for veterans on solid seasons, but, there’s like a (gradient?), in which many assets abd picks aré just too much, that you can’t play them all, which Is their way of getting better. Besides, veterans, as much cliché as it may sound, aré a stabilizing presence for rebuilding groups, and guide youngsters along their way. Just something they really lacked last season.
Continuity Is a very important thing in a rebuild. That comes along with establishing a core and an identity.
(Dana, by the way, I really like the way you write here, you aré one of the best writers in HR. )
Scariest thought for Pistons fans has to be What if last year wasn’t the result of Monty not GAF, but an incredibly failed rebuild with an equally sketchy future given the new GMs draft picks