When the Detroit Pistons took a shot on Thon Maker as a bench big, the expectations were low. Maker was drafted as a raw, athletic freak that a team could mold like clay. As it turns out, the clay is already basically rock. Maker is unlikely to be in a Pistons uniform next season and,…
Category: Season Review
2019-2020 Season Review: Khyri Thomas’ Future Remains Murky
In the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft, the Pistons made a trade to acquire the draft rights to Creighton University guard, Khyri Thomas. During the 2018-2019 NBA season, a second-round pick did break out for the Pistons, however, it was not Khyri Thomas. He was outshined by the scrappy Miami University guard with…
2019-2020 Season Review: Brandon Knight Shows He’s A Viable Backup Still
Since tearing his ACL in 2017, Brandon Knight has not been the player that he was hyped up as coming out of Kentucky. Knight has bounced around the league since being drafted by the Pistons in 2011, having played in Milwaukee, Phoenix, Houston, and Cleveland since. However, Knight found his way back to Detroit this…
2019-2020 Season Review: Louis King Showcased He has the Tools to Succeed
Louis King spent little time with the Detroit Pistons this season. The 21-year-old rookie out of Oregon was able to scratch out 10 games with Detroit this year while spending most of his time with the Grand Rapids Drive. King was first picked up by the Pistons four days after going undrafted, which was surprising…
2019-2020 Season Review: Jordan Bone Shines With the Grand Rapids Drive but NBA Future Remains Uncertain
As the 57th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the Detroit Pistons weren’t expecting many contributions from first-year point guard Jordan Bone. Instead, the franchise hoped that the 6-foot-3, 180-pound speed demon would prove to be a standout on the team’s G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Drive, and show steady development throughout…
2018-2019 Season Review: The Pistons Gambled Depth at Their Most Important Position with Jose Calderon
Last offseason Detroit added the most consistent point guard of the then-defending Eastern Conference Champion Cleveland Cavaliers. It was Jose Calderon. Woof. That speaks both to the very low-risk and just slightly higher reward the Pistons took and the incredibly poor play the Cavaliers survived on the way to a slaughtering via the Golden State…
2018-2019 Season Review: Jon Leuer was Healthier, But Still Not Effective
Jon Leuer’s tenure so far with the Detroit Pistons can be summed up as ineffective and injury-ridden. That is a harsh, but fair, assessment of a player that the Pistons thought would be a helpful 3-and-D power forward when they signed him to a 4-year $41 million deal in 2016. I am not here to…
2018-2019 Season Review: Zaza Pachulia Does Not Belong Anymore
He was far from perfect and often frustrating, but Detroit really didn’t know what they had in Aron Baynes prior to his departure to the Boston Celtics in 2017. Following Baynes’ tenure in Detroit, the Pistons have found that consistently playable backup centers are few and far between. Whether it be implementing 7’3 behemoth Boban…
2018-19 Season Review: Ish Smith, Detroit’s Jitterbug Off The Bench
The 2018-19 campaign was one full of ups and downs for the Detroit Pistons’ backup point guard Ish Smith. However, one thing is for certain: the man likes to push the ball on offense and get his teammates involved. The Pistons finished their 82-game regular season with a .500 record of 41-41, however, Smith would…
2018-2019 Season Review: Pistons Need Glenn Robinson III at His Best Next Season
The Detroit Pistons had high hopes in Glenn Robinson III when they signed him to a two-year contract in July of 2019. For a team that at the time boasted Luke Kennard, Reggie Bullock, and Stanley Johnson on the wing, the addition of Bullock was one to provide depth and competition for one of the…
