With the Detroit Pistons in the middle of building their young core, some players have excelled. Some others have a lot of improvements to make.
As we all know, the Detroit Pistons are currently in rebuild mode. Whether this makes fans mad or not, the organization needs to make sure they mature these young men properly. Any rushing in the process can really be a hazard to a player’s career.
Let’s take a look at three of the current Detroit Pistons players who need extra work.
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The first player who could use some minor adjustments is Christian Wood. He is exactly who the Pistons need in a stretch five center. He already has a good offensive game but isn’t too selfish or selfless. The defensive end of the floor is where he has had some struggles. There are many times in a game when Wood looks confused and gives up an open opponent cut and score.
If he could strongly box the opposing center out, that would give just not him, but the whole team extra rebounding opportunities. That would also help him know where his man is at all times. Wood is already very athletic and can literally dunk the basketball on anyone. His work ethic seems very strong so I have no doubt Wood will return next season stronger and with a defensive mentality.
The second player to keep an eye on next season is Bruce Brown. Since his rookie season, he has always been a defensive catalyst. This season, he showed everyone that he can run the offense, having to start the point guard position unexpectedly. The skill that’s really keeping him from being a standout player is his shooting ability.
This season, his field goal percentage grew from 39.8 percent to 44.3 percent. His 3-point shooting also increased from 25.8 percent to 34.4 percent. He has definitely not reached his full potential as he is just 23 years old. If he can continue to grow on the offensive end of the floor, there’s no telling what Brown will achieve.
The third and final player to look out for is Sekou Doumbouya. When the season started he was only 18 years old. Now he is 19, which still currently makes him the youngest player in the NBA. The Pistons rookie averaged 6.4 points and 3.1 rebounds in 19.8 minutes per game this year. In 38 games played, he split them evenly starting 19 games and coming off the bench in 19 games.
Obviously, he performed better as a starter, but depending on which direction the Pistons go in this offseason, he could be on the bench next season. Doumbouya is still a very raw player and has a ton of developing and maturing to do on offense and defense. Hopefully, the Pistons organization goes about it the right way and we see a big jump in his numbers next season.
Even though the Pistons are in the middle of a rebuild, this will still be a very fun team to watch. This team is still very young as a whole and willing to learn to get better, so I know they will give it their all every night.
Pistons owner Tom Gores recently said instead of a rebuild, it’s a retool. He is tired of settling for the eighth seed every year. Hopefully, this is a short period and the team comes out competing at the highest level possible.