Detroit Pistons: 3 big questions heading into 2018-19 NBA season

2. Is this the start of something big?

Getting back to the playoffs in 2019 is one thing, but more importantly, securing the foundation of a successful franchise that can stay in the playoffs well into the next decade should be the Pistons’ ultimate goal.

Detroit basketball fans are accustomed to winning. Their team won back-to-back NBA championships in 1989 and 1990 as one of the defining teams of that era, and a return to prominence in the 2000s was highlighted by a third championship in 2004.

A one-time postseason cameo isn’t good enough for this franchise. The building blocks appear to be in place, however, to become a perennial contender.

Drummond, who has led the league in rebounding twice in the last three seasons, is just 25 years old and has three years remaining on his contract. Griffin, who averaged 19.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 25 games with Detroit last season, is 29 years old and under contract for another four years. Jackson is 28 and his contract expires in 2020. Barring a trade, the Pistons’ Big 3 is locked in for at least a couple of years.

Some of Detroit’s other key players have youth on their side. Small forward Stanley Johnson and shooting guard Luke Kennard, both 22 years old, are penciled into the starting lineup this season. Glenn Robinson III, who will push Johnson for playing time, is 24. Reggie Bullock, the team’s most prolific 3-point shooter, is 27. Rookie guards Bruce Brown Jr. and Khyri Thomas are both 22. Third-year forward Henry Ellenson, still viewed as a prospect with decent upside, is only 21.

First-year head coach Dwane Casey comes to Detroit after guiding the Toronto Raptors to five straight playoff appearances and continued improvement from season to season.

Last season, Casey led Toronto to a franchise-record 59 wins, and he was voted NBA Coach of the Year. (The Raptors fired Casey after LeBron and the Cavs swept him out of the playoffs for the second straight year.)

Casey, front-office adviser Ed Stefanski and assistant general manager Malik Rose are among the Pistons’ new front-office leadership group that appears to have the support and trust of owner Tom Gores, who has proven he’s willing to spend the money necessary to acquire talent on and off the court.

Prediction: The Pistons have a bright future ahead