Cort Freeman

Cort Freeman

Cort Freeman

What are your predictions for the Detroit Pistons in the 2024-2025 season? (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

What are your predictions for the Detroit Pistons during the 2024-2025 season? In other words, how bad do you think we’re going to be?

Things have not been going the way we had hoped for the Detroit Pistons. At one point, we were optimistic with our young core of Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, and Jaden Ivey. How are we feeling now? There doesn’t seem to be much optimism in the city of Detroit.

What Are Your Predictions For The Detroit Pistons?

The Detroit Pistons finished the 2023-2024 NBA season with the worst record in the league. They were terrible, they looked awful, and their record reflects that. However, despite having the worst record in the league, the team ended up with the 5th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. With that kind of outcome, it’s unlikely to see the team improve in the upcoming season.

Typically, the worst teams in the league are rewarded with the top pick in the draft. At least that’s how it goes in the NFL. In the NBA, we get the Draft Lottery where a bunch of ping-pong balls (allegedly) make the pick at random based on your previous record. The worst team has more balls than the other teams and thus have the best shot at the first pick, but it doesn’t always go that way. You can win the lottery by being a team who didn’t expect the top pick or you can lose the lottery by being an awful team who ends up getting a terrible pick. It seems like the Detroit Pistons are always getting robbed in these lotteries. Our Detroit Red Wings are no stranger to this, either!

So, what are you expecting for the upcoming season? Do you think a new coach in J.B. Bickerstaff will be able to turn things around? How about the new management? Check out my 5 predictions for the Detroit Pistons in the upcoming season below. In summary, I’m expecting things to get ugly. Before we begin, I should note I do not want these to happen. I want the Pistons to win it all! However, we have to be realistic. Regardless, I’ll be rooting for the team and rooting against my predictions. Had to make that known.

  • Worst Record In The NBA

    The Detroit Pistons finished with the worst record in the NBA last season. They had a historically bad run losing an NBA record 28 games in a row. That’s very hard to pull off! There are other bad teams in the league, teams that take days off, and more. However, here we are setting NBA records for a 28 game losing streak. You almost have to try to lose that many games in a row!

    Following that bad season, the Pistons were awarded with the 5th pick in the NBA Draft. That’s not a pick you look forward to. Given that, it’s going to be hard for the team to make any giant leaps forward. Additionally, Detroit isn’t known for being a Free Agent hot spot. I think we’re going to end up at the bottom of the league again. With Paul George coming to the Eastern Conference, things are only going to be more difficult this year. I do not like what I’m seeing.

  • Under 20 Wins

    I guess predicting the Detroit Pistons will have the worst record in the league isn’t much of a hot take any more. So, let’s take it up a notch. Not only do I predict the Pistons will have the worst record in the league when the season ends, I don’t think they’ll top 20 wins.

    Last season, they won 14 games. Am I really supposed to believe they’ll be any better this season? I’m not seeing it. Sure, they could be healthier. However, injuries happen in the NBA! You can’t bank on that. I could see them getting more wins than last year, but not by many. The roster hasn’t improved while other teams that struggled recently seem to have gotten better or at least made attempts! I don’t think they’ll have another 28 game losing streak this year, but I also just can’t see them getting more than 20 wins.

  • Won't Get Number 1 Pick

    Let’s double down on the hot takes. Yes, I believe the Pistons will have the worst record in the league. Yes, I don’t think they’ll get more than 20 wins this season. I also believe they’ll get robbed again when it comes to the Draft Lottery. I can absolutely see these things happening and we still end up with the 2nd or 3rd pick in the Draft.

    That’s how it seems to always go in Detroit! I have no faith in the Draft Lottery system. I wish the NBA would do what the NFL does and just give the team with the worst record the number one pick. Sure, issues can come out of that like teams tanking but I have enough faith in players that they won’t do that. Athletes are competitive and no athlete wants to throw a game so the team can draft a player to replace them. It’s survival! I hate to say it, but I can see this happening to us again!

  • Mid-Season Trade

    Given my previous predictions, things aren’t going to go the Pistons way this season and if my predictions are correct the problems will start early into the season. I think we’ll see that we’re in trouble incredibly early on and eventually will have to do something about it.

    Our young core was once something to be excited about and now this year I can see us tearing it all down and trying to start over. Clearly, it hasn’t worked so far. At some point, you have to cut your loses instead of doubling down on them. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw Jaden Ivey or Jalen Duren get traded away for some future draft picks before the Trade Deadline. They’re going to have to get rid of pieces with strong potential and those are the two names you’ll have to keep an eye on. Cade Cunningham reportedly was offered a max extension this season, so you have to imagine that he’ll be safe for another year at least. How else are they supposed to improve? If the pieces can’t work together, we’ve got to find a solution that will work!

  • Major Injury

    This would be the worst possible outcome. We ink Cade Cunningham to a lucrative contract and then he gets hurt. Like, really hurt this time. The star has dealt with several injuries since joining the team (and even some prior to that). I don’t want to start using the phrase “injury prone,” but at one point do we start? The threat is there. It would be the last thing the Detroit Pistons need this season. That’s enough of a reason for me to predict that it’s going to happen. Murphy’s Law might come into play with the Pistons, if it hasn’t started already!

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