Detroit Pistons: 3 breakout candidates in 2018-19

The Detroit Pistons are built around three star players. They need breakout seasons from some reserve players for the team to take the next step.

The Detroit Pistons are heading into the 2018-19 season with tons of optimism. They have a new head coach in place, along with several young, developing players. Dwane Casey steadily developed the Toronto Raptors into a perennial powerhouse in the Eastern Conference. The hope is that he can do the same in the Motor City.

Players such as Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin will continue to develop and add new wrinkles to their game. However, it’s the pieces around the stars that make a team successful more than the stars do.

Stars do help, in cases such as the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers, but they are not the entire product. The Pistons had one of the worst benches in the NBA, as they ranked 20th in points per game. Casey’s Raptors ranked fith due to the system he ran. Players developed and became great within the system, and it can happen again.

The Pistons are built around Drummond, Griffin and Reggie Jackson, and they have players that can take that next step next season. The Pistons are just two years removed from a first round loss to the eventual NBA champion Cavaliers.

In that series, they appeared headed for a seat among the Eastern Conference elite. After injuries and other issues have held them back for two seasons, this year could be when they make that leap. In order to get over that hump, the following players will have to take the next step. Role players can make or break a team, so if these players don’t perform, they’ll do more breaking than making.