Indiana Pacers division rival offseason check-in: Detroit Pistons

The Pistons got better, but how much better?

Mar 20, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey (23) drives to the basket next to Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard (26) in the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports / David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports

Much of the Central Division, including the Indiana Pacers, hopes to be a better team in 2024-25. With the exception of the Chicago Bulls, who traded away some top-end talent, the rest of the division made moves that suggest they wish to be a better group in the coming campaign.

The Detroit PIstons don't have room to go down and are headed on an upward trajectory. How high they can climb this year will likely depend on how much growth their young stars show, but they will be playing alongside capable players more often than last season. They should be a strong group.

In 2023-24, Indiana swept Detroit. That will be more difficult this coming season. The Pistons offseason was headlined by their stable veteran additions, and those players should make the Pacers up-north foe more formidable.

Headlining the new-look Pistons group is Tobias Harris, who the franchise brought in on a two-year, $50+ million deal. They also acquired veteran wings Tim Hardaway Jr and Malik Beasley while claiming Paul Reed off waivers. Those are established NBA talents that can help a team win more games.

At the same time, players like Chimezie Metu. Troy Brown Jr, Evan Fournier, James Wiseman (who came to the Pacers), and Malachi Flynn are among the crew who got rotation minutes last year in Detroit that are no longer with the team. If that group is replaced by the aforementioned vets on the court, the Pistons should naturally see some improvement.

How much improvement is the big question. Young, ascending talents like Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, and Jalen Duren still remain with the Pistons, and they need minutes. Ron Holland was a top-five pick in the most recent NBA draft, and the team added Bobi Klintman early in the second round.

Add in three recent first-round picks in Wendell Moore Jr., Ausar Thompson, and Marcus Sasser, and suddenly the Pistons' rotation becomes crowded. Their top-to-bottom talent is better than last season, but how they build a capable rotation will be fascinating.

Cunningham, Duren, Harris, and Thompson all seem like locks to play. Ivey, Beasley, and Simone Fontecchio should be in the mix. How the rest of the spots are filled, and the balance between young players and veteran talent, will define how good Detroit can be this season.

"Any time you get the opportunity to be fortunate enough to work with elite basketball players, you have to take something and learn from them," head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said, per the Detroit Free Press. "Finding different ways to use them together, finding different ways to rotate them so they get the opportunity to play to their strengths. We always tried to keep one of those guys on the floor. We allow them to close games together, to start games together, but you build your rotation so that you always have one of those dynamic players on the floor."

Speaking of Bickerstaff, he is new to the mix as well. How he builds a culture will matter as the Pistons search for long-term success.

As the Pacers survey their division, they have to get a sense that the Pistons are a better team. It will be difficult to beat them four times this season. But how strong Detroit truly is will likely come down to their priorities. If they opt to be younger and develop, then they might not win very many games. But if they lean into their veterans, reaching 30+ wins is plausible. Time will tell what Indiana is dealing with.

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