Detroit Pistons: 5 biggest disappointments from 2017-18 NBA season

1. Missing the postseason

The biggest disappointment for the Detroit Pistons this season is easily not qualifying for the postseason. Every move that Stan Van Gundy made was completed with a win-now mentality. Unfortunately, almost none of those moves worked out.

At the time, the trade for Avery Bradley looked good. He brings a lot of the same qualities to the table that Kentavious Caldwell-Pope did, as a top 3-and-D player in the NBA. However, he was never healthy and couldn’t hit a shot in Detroit.

The biggest misstep was going all in on Blake Griffin. In a weaker Eastern Conference, there is a chance that the combination of Griffin and Drummond can overwhelm some teams and push Detroit closer to the playoffs. However, is it really worth being fodder for an upper echelon team in the Eastern Conference in the first round of the playoffs?

The Pistons are stuck in a bad spot. They don’t have much in the way of young talent to build around. Griffin is under contract for three more years, with a fourth-year player option. Drummond is under contract for two more years, with a third-year player option.

The Pistons already have $117 million on the books for next season and $110 million on the books for 2019-20. This is pretty much the hand they will have to play with for the next two seasons before they get any flexibility salary cap-wise.

Next: Full two-round 2018 NBA Mock Draft

A playoff berth in 2018 would have softened the blow. However, with a bleak outlook, missing the playoffs this season may not be the biggest disappointment for the Detroit Pistons at this time next year.