Detroit Pistons: Midseason team awards for 2018-19

The first half of the 2018-19 season has been disappointing for the Detroit Pistons, but some players have been standing out for the right reasons.

What began as a season of playoff potential for the Detroit Pistons has taken a turn toward another reservation at the NBA Draft Lottery table.

Three months ago, the Pistons were ready to follow the lead of All-Star forward Blake Griffin, All-Star center Andre Drummond and reigning Coach of the Year Dwane Casey to what seemed like an entirely attainable spot in the 2018-19 playoffs.

With LeBron James having moved West to Los Angeles, the Eastern Conference was open for the taking and there was some talk that Detroit could not only make it back to the postseason for the first time since 2016, but maybe even earn a top-four seed and homecourt advantage in the opening round.

Today, the Pistons are on the outside of the bracket looking in. Following Thursday’s loss to the Sacramento Kings, the Pistons are 17-23, ninth place in the East. Detroit has lost four in a row and has gone 4-16 in its last 20 games.

Things have gotten bad enough that the dreaded t-word (“tanking”) has been making its way into the lexicon of the Pistons’ fan base and growing louder with each loss.

As the season reaches its midpoint, however, not every thing has gone wrong.

While the team itself has underachieved, some individual Pistons have played up to the high expectations that greeted them on Opening Night. Some have even played above expectations.

Here are Detroit’s midseason award winners.