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DK Nation will be going through all 30 teams ahead of the season, looking at how the roster shapes up for the 2022-23 campaign. Here we take a look at the Detroit Pistons, who are hoping to start building the foundation for exiting this rebuild. The Pistons made some big moves on draft night and will be looking for improvement from those players in the 2022-23 season.
Detroit Pistons 2022-23 Outlook
Key additions: Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, Bojan Bogdanovic
Ivey and Duren will be part of Detroit’s long-term plans, while Bogdanovic was a no-brainer addition given what the Pistons parted with. The team is starting to come together and the front office has shown it is savvy enough to adjust around the edges of this core. Bogdanovic is an expiring contract and could be moved at the deadline for more future assets.
Key departures: Jerami Grant, Kelly Olynyk
Losing Grant, especially for the return, was a bit tough to stomach. However, there likely wasn’t a huge market for the combo forward. The Pistons are going to have a tough time replacing him. Olynyk’s NBA career has been filled with injuries, but he was a key rotation piece for Detroit when healthy.
Season expectations
The Pistons have no plans to make the playoffs this season, although Cunningham could be good enough to keep them competitive longer than anticipated. Evaluating Ivey and Duren will be the priority, while assessing the fit of players like Killian Hayes, Cory Joseph and Hamidou Diallo will also be important.
Projected starting lineup
Cunningham and Saddiq Bey will be fixtures in the lineup, with Ivey potentially slotting in as the secondary backcourt player. Bogdanovic should be a starter as long as he’s on the team. The key will be the center position. Marvin Bagley likely gets the first crack at the starting job, although Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren should be in the mix as well.
Fantasy basketball player to watch: Cade Cunningham
Cunningham had a rough start to his rookie season but eventually got going in a big way. Over the final 23 games he played, he averaged 20.3 points, 6.1 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game. If he can maintain that type of production over the full season, he’ll be a huge fantasy asset. Ivey’s presence could take some ball-handling duties away from Cunningham, so that’s one area where he could lose some fantasy value.