The Detroit Pistons have made vast improvement, one year removed from a disastrous season that resulted in the firing of their Head Coach after one season at the helm. Fast Forward to present day, with the help of their franchise guard Cade Cunningham there is hope of better days to come. The team is well ahead of the pace they were on last year, but inconsistent play has put in question what direction the team is heading in. We will dive into three topics to take away from the season thus far.

The Beasley Signing was a Steal

Going into the off-season the Pistons were in dire need of a veteran presence and floor-spacer. So when the opportunity to acquire Malik Beasley presented itself, it only made sense. Coupled with the fact that Beasley has blood ties to the city due to his mother growing up in Detroit, it only further proved that the signing was a no-brainer. Detroit has a history of signing players that have reached their peak, so the skepticism was there, but Beasley has exceeded all expectations. Malik immediately took the young players under his wing during the summer, and has continued to show them the way on and off the court. He is currently 4th in the NBA in 3 pointers made with 92, and has shot a scorching 40% from behind the arc on high volume.

Stewart has arrived as a Defensive Force

The Piston’s have decided to ditch the experiment of Isaiah Stewart at the stretch 4 position. In favor of him manning the backup 5 role. This new task has enabled him to fully embrace his enforcer role in the paint, and his infectious energy has already rubbed off on rookie wing Ron Holland. In just 21 minutes of action per night, Stewart ranks 15th in the league in blocks per game (1.3), and 12th in total blocks with 33. Per Craft NBA, Stewart falls within the 90th Percentile in rim defense, rebounding, and Block Percentage. Not bad for a guy who was deemed undersized at his position. Some even question should he be getting starter minutes over young Center Jalen Duren, who it appears has regressed from a solid season last year. Stewart continues to be the topic of trade rumors, but the exchange will have to be ultra enticing for the Pistons to pull the trigger on a move.

Pistons need a 2nd star

As stated earlier, Cade Cunningham appears to be taking that next jump into stardom, but he continues to be a one man band at that level of performance. Cade has improved defensively and has transformed himself into a triple double threat on a night to night basis. Detroit has a number of solid role players in Hardaway, Harris, and Beasley. But the reality is, none of those players will ever be a true #2 option on a contending playoff team. Players like Ivey and Duren, have shown potential to be stars in the making, but both have gone through a number of ups and downs throughout their young careers. The clock is ticking on whether it’s time to make a move involving one or both players. At this current moment their stock is still at a reasonable level to garner a good return. Ivey has been the constant topic of discussion, as it relates to whether or not he fits alongside Cade. He has certainly had some breakout games including the 26 point effort against the Toronto Raptors, where he shot 77% from the field and concluded the game with a buzz beating dagger. But overall, on any given night you just don’t know which Ivey you are going to see. His December has gotten off to a rocky start. In 5 games Ivey is averaging 11 points per game, on 32% from the field and 29% from the outside. Outside of Cade, The Pistons don’t have many options as far as creation and ball handling. The team has depended on Ivey to be the secondary guy. He has continued to struggle in the turnover department, averaging just 4 assist to 3 turnovers per game.

Cade Cunningham this season:

23.6 PPG
7.3 RPG
9.3 APG
2.4 3PM
45.3 FG%
38.1 3P%

Those are all career-highs. pic.twitter.com/89uFsb0OCy

— StatMuse (@statmuse) December 13, 2024

The Pistons are 3-7 in their last 10 games, last in the Central Division, and falling further and further out of the playoff picture in the East. At this juncture of the season, Detroit has had a decent enough sample size to evaluate their roster, and may look to shake things up, moving off some of their trade-able assets for an impact player. The mysterious initial waiving of Center Paul Reed, is another indicator that Detroit may be active at the deadline. Paul Reed’s $8 million contract was non-guaranteed and the transaction will give the team financial flexibility in the inevitable event that the Pistons make a move in the next two months.