3 reasons the Detroit Pistons will make the 2019 NBA Playoffs

2. Detroit has the best 4-5 tandem in the NBA

As good as Casey is on the bench, ultimately, it’s the players who win the games in the NBA.

The Pistons’ top two players are two legit All-Stars in the frontcourt: power forward Blake Griffin and center Andre Drummond. They make up arguably the best 4-5 tandem in the league.

Griffin and Drummond played 25 games together last season after Griffin came to Detroit in a trade from the Los Angeles Clippers. During that stretch, Griffin averaged 19.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game, while Drummond put up 14.8 points, 17.0 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game.

For the entire season, Drummond led the league in rebounding (16.0 per game) and led all centers in steals (1.5 per game). Griffin averaged 21.4 points between his Clippers and Pistons stints, tying for 18th in the league, and ranked second among power forwards (to Draymond Green) in assists with 5.8 per game.

Griffin and Drummond have a good chemistry on the court, and spent a lot of time together this offseason forging a bond off the court. That bodes well for the Pistons, because it’s unlikely either one is going anywhere soon. Griffin is under contract through 2021 with a player option for 2022; Drummond is under contract through 2020 with a player option for 2021; and both players have pretty hefty salaries that would be hard to move in a trade.

For better or worse, Griffin and Drummond are locked in as Detroit’s foundation for the foreseeable future. Fortunately, they are as good as any frontcourt pair in the league.