Detroit Pistons: 5 reasons to be excited for 2018-19 NBA season

1. Continued development

Luke Kennard was one of the more underrated players from the 2017 NBA Draft. He was overshadowed by players like Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum and other young stars last season. It also didn’t help that he would get relegated to the bench by Van Gundy in favor of older players. Kennard has a higher ceiling, and he can quickly become one of the NBA’s top shooters if he develops properly in Casey’s offense as an off-ball shooter.

Johnson is a 3-point shot away from becoming one of the best 3-and-D players in the league. His defensive versatility allows him to guard positions 1-4 in small-ball lineups. While his 3-point shot won’t rise to 40 percent this season, it’s very reasonable that he could shoot at least 35 percent from distance this year. He should get more open shots in Casey’s offense, he just has to knock those shots down.

The best NBA teams are constantly changing and getting better. If you’re not moving forward, you’re moving backward. Players on this team like Drummond, Kennard and others are getting better by adding new wrinkles to their games. Fans may not get to enjoy a parade at the end of the year. However, they can definitely see a lot of new aspects of players’ games this year. Get excited Pistons fans, because it’s going to be a fun year.