The 3-11 Detroit Pistons are one of the worst teams in the league, if not the very worst. They are 21st in offensive rating and 25th in defensive rating. The only other bottom dweller to rank that low in both categories are the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have seen Karl-Anthony Towns go in and out of the lineup.
While this may not be entirely surprising given the overall talent of the roster, not everything is going exactly as expected for the Pistons so far this season. Many people came in with some preconceived notions about the few returning players to the roster. The draft and free agency, where Troy Weaver noticeably emptied his clip, generated plenty of snark from the outside with fans and experts joined in thinking they knew everything already about all of the new Detroit Pistons.
No less than six Detroit Pistons have been surprising one month into the season for better or worse. Who has been the most surprising?
Not all surprises are good. Specifically one of the somewhat unexpected results is hanging over the future of the franchise so we will start with that observation. However, there are five players who are significantly more positive indicators of what the team that Weaver is building will be.
The fact that there is this much positive for a team that is almost guaranteed to finish in the bottom three of the league is a good feeling. While the team will not do much winning it is important to find the things to watch if you are going to check in with the Pistons on a game to game basis. Before that, we have to discuss the elephant in the room.