Detroit Pistons: The optimistic promise of this losing season

Feeding the fanbase? Promising

Keeping a fanbase engaged when everyone knows you’re not going to be in contention is one of the most difficult things a team can do.

For better or worse, the Detroit Pistons have a few variables allowing them to stay relevant in a city desperate for quality sports.

The Pistons are on par with the city’s other major sports teams as far as competitiveness.

The Lions, Red Wings and Tigers are all in their own states of transition — allowing the Pistons to be at or near the top of the Detroit sports food chain in a time where fans need a distraction from the chaos of the real world the most.

Coupled with the commitment to the rebuild, the crop of young talent being brought to the team finally allows fans to appreciate what could be as opposed to living and dying with every win and loss.

The arrival of Jerami Grant gives fans a player to rally around as a leading scorer and poor man’s human highlight reel.

The surprise emergence of rookie Saddiq Bey is having a similar effect that Bruce Brown had as a no-risk pick that looks to be working out for the team’s tanking plan.

Bey averaged 10.0 points and 4.1 rebounds through 11 games played while shooting 42.6 percent from 3-point range to start the season.

The things fans need most in a rebuilding season is hope and fun — and nearly a quarter of the way through the season, the Pistons have managed to make that work.