The Pistons lost again, and their last win was in October. There was not a single win in the whole of November. Last season, the Pistons finished bottom of the league with a 17-65 record and were the only team in the league without 20 wins. As a result, the Pistons offered Monty, the head coach who parted ways with the Suns, a six-year, $72 million, plus team options and incentive clauses, up to eight years and $100 million in the largest coaching contract in history.
During Monty's tenure with the Suns, the Suns rose from a Western League team to a Western powerhouse, winning the league's No. 1 record and once reaching the Finals. The Pistons want the coach who won the best coach in the Suns to lead the team out of the quagmire.
There are 9 lottery rookies on the Pistons roster this season, and 5 top-five picks:
Cunningham (No. 21 pick), Ivey (No. 5 pick in '22), Duren (No. 13 pick in '22), Burks (No. 12 pick in '11), Thompson (No. 5 in '23), Bagley (No. 9 in '18), Knox (No. 9 in '18), Hayes (No. 7 in '20), Wiseman (No. 7 in '20), Wiseman (No. 7 in '20).
With so many high-ranking players, the record is dark. The Thunder and Magic, who used to hang the tail with the Pistons and also hoarded a lot of talented newcomers, have already played this season, while the Pistons are still standing still.
Except for Berks, a 32-year-old veteran, everyone else is young. Cunningham, Ivey, Duren, Thompson and Hayes are the Pistons' own rookies. Bagley, Knox and Wiseman are all other teams that have blown out "thank you for your patronage", and the Pistons still don't believe in evil, believing that their ancestral graves are smoky and can be found. The Pistons' draft vision and ability to develop new recruits are questionable.
Cunningham is the cornerstone of the team, and although the statistics seem to be steadily rising in the three years of his career, his shooting percentage has always remained the same. The selling point of the draft period was the projection of a tall point guard who was a great pick, and the draft template was Doncic, but his ability to solve battles one-on-one was more than a level away from Doncic.
This season, Cunningham is shooting just over 41 percent from the field and just over 34 percent from three-point range, both of which rank in the bottom third of the league. His mediocre physicality severely constrained him, and his frame-attacking efficiency was too slow.
While his playmaking skills and passing skills are remarkable, averaging a career-high seven assists per game, he averages 4Five turnovers are again the league's first.
Maybe he is more suitable as the second and third leader of the team, but as the cornerstone of the team, the Pistons may really need to consider whether to continue to build the team around him.
The Pistons are at the bottom of the league in both offensive and defensive efficiency this season, and they are a team with poor space, turnovers, fouls and a lack of bright spots.
Their projection is just too poor, and the team is filled with too many ice shooters. With the exception of two rotation players, Suser and Knox, none of the shooters shot more than 40 percent from three-point range.
With the exception of Cunningham, the Pistons lacked a consistent second scorer. Cunningham is averaging 22 per game3 points, there are 6 players who average between 10 and 12 points per game. With such a terrible space environment, it's no wonder that Cunningham made so many mistakes.
The Pistons have potential rim protectors like Duren on the inside, and potential defensive wings like Thompson and Hayes on the outside. They are still jade, and they still need to be carved. Thompson and Hayes' shooting ability is really worrying, and it is a double-edged sword for them to strengthen their defense.
The draft vision and development ability are not as good as the Thunder and Magic, and perhaps the Pistons can refer to the Rockets' rebuilding model. Adjust and change the core of the team in a timely manner, strive to strengthen the immediate combat power in the free market, and let the Motor City get out of the abyss as soon as possible.