3 reasons the Detroit Pistons will make the 2019 NBA Playoffs

1. There’s an opening in the East

When LeBron left the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Los Angeles Lakers, the Cavs plummeted down everybody’s power rankings from a serious title contender to a projected lottery squad.

If the prognosticators are accurate, then not only is there a void at the top of the Eastern Conference, but there’s also an open spot available in the playoff bracket.

That’s where the Pistons enter the picture.

Detroit finished last season at ninth place in the East, four games behind the Washington Wizards for the final postseason seed.

Since then, the Pistons have upgraded the roster, improved their coaching situation, and made changes in the front office that have so far been well-received.

While the team didn’t have much money to spend in free agency, they signed Glenn Robinson III, Zaza Pachulia and Jose Calderon, and brought back Reggie Bullock — all on team-friendly contracts.

Robinson is good enough to challenge Stanley Johnson for the starting small forward job. Pachulia brings championship experience and toughness in the paint. Calderon brings floor generalship and shooting. Bullock is one of Detroit’s five best players and best 3-point shooter, but he may be best suited for a sixth-man role. Whether he starts of comes off the bench, he’s a vital piece of the puzzle.

Detroit acquired a pair of potential steals in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft in guards Bruce Brown Jr. and Khyri Thomas, who may also be able to contribute sooner than later.

More important than the newcomers, however, is the health of the Pistons’ top three returners. Drummond has been durable and reliable throughout his career, but Griffin and starting point guard Reggie Jackson are another story.

Griffin has been famously injury-prone over the last four years, playing an average of only 55 games per season while missing time with a variety of afflictions. Jackson was on the verge of a breakout two years ago, but injuries have halted his development; he’s played in an average of 48.5 games over the last two seasons.

Griffin and Jackson need to be on the court consistently for the Pistons to be a really good team, but even if they miss significant time, the playoffs are well within reach in Detroit.