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Observing the Opposition: The Detroit Pistons

Editor's Note: As the NBA season approaches and with NBA training camps opening up at the end of the month, Timberwolves.com wanted to give fans a little refresher on what has been a busy offseason. For the next two weeks, we'll be releasing season outlooks for teams throughout the NBA.

Dane MizutaniWeb Editorial AssociateEmail / TwitterOverview: It’s been a slow and steady decline for the Detroit Pistons since the days of consistently competing for the Eastern Conference title. There was a point almost a decade ago now where the Pistons advanced to at least the Eastern Conference finals in six straight seasons. In that stretch they also won an NBA title and won at least 50 games in six straight seasons. Detroit hasn’t had a winning season since. It looked like last year might be the year the Pistons got off the schneid. That roster was loaded with talent and was easily one of the most athletic teams in the entire league. It didn’t quite work out for Detroit, though, as the players never figured out the concept of playing as a team. That selfish play led to yet another year of struggle for the franchise. There were positives last season as Andre Drummond grew into his body and morphed into a legit post presence. The Pistons also got Josh Smith to attack the rack and stop shooting so many jump shots. There were other highlights amid the tough year, and in reality, Detroit isn’t far off from competing for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. That’s not necessarily saying much, though.

Record Last Season: 29-53

Key Additions: Jodie Meeks, Caron Butler, DJ Augustin, Aaron Gray

Key Losses: Chauncey Billups, Charlie Villanueva 

How They Did Against The Wolves: Detroit lost both games it played against the Wolves last season. The Pistons got a strong effort from Brandon Jennings in both games and aside from that no one really showed up. There were empty stats across the board from the starting lineup and the bench was highly ineffective. Jennings dropped 20 points in the first contest against the Wolves — a 121-94 loss at The Palace. Kevin Love was dominant for Minnesota in that matchup and went off for 26 points and 16 rebounds. It was much of the same in the second matchup of the year as Love as again dominant, and the Pistons didn’t really pose much of a threat. They were a little more competitive this time around in a 114-101 loss, though it never really felt like they had a chance to actually win the game. Greg Monroe led the team with 20 points and 15 rebounds in the loss.

Projection: The Pistons have a chance to surprise some pundits this season. They just need to run the offense through Drummond.

Here are a few reasons why it’d be a good idea:

Detroit didn’t lose much from last season’s squad and still boast a roster laden with talent. It’s just a matter of it figuring out the right way to put the pieces together. If it figures it out the Pistons are easily a playoff team. They possess a lightning quick point guard in Jennings, and while he needs to refine a lot of his game, the talent is there. Detroit also comes at teams with one of the most imposing frontcourts in the league. Drummond and Monroe are perfect complements to each other and have the potential to be one of the best frontcourts in the entire NBA, not just one of the most imposing. Josh Smith is playing out of position at the small forward spot, but if he plays to his strengths he could be a matchup nightmare this season. Then there are the role players — a bunch of unsexy names that have proven the ability in the past to be quite effective in the NBA. There are a lot of question marks on this team, and if those questions can be answered, look out for Detroit this season. It’ll still be a long time, if ever, before the squad returns to the glory of the early 2000s. This year, however, could be a start.