Detroit Pistons: 3 ways they can conclude their season perfectly

The Detroit Pistons entered the season with specific goals in mind. They wanted to clear the decks as much as possible in order to hit the reset button. They didn’t so much want to lose as much as possible, but they didn’t want a necessity to win to get in the way of securing their future. And finally, they wanted to make sure to develop their young players in a season where they could learn and grow without the added pressure of trying to sneak into the eighth seed like seasons past.

It’s gone beautifully, and they’ve mostly managed to avoid winning too many games to maximize their chances in the NBA draft lottery. They have a handful of signature victories with wins over the Los Angeles Lakers, the Phoenix Suns, the Philadelphia 76ers, the Brooklyn Nets, the Boston Celtics, the Miami Heat, and they swept head coach Dwane Casey’s old team, the Toronto Raptors.

The Detroit Pistons are a week away from ending their first season of an intentional rebuild. Here’s how they can ensure their efforts count.

To be able to get all those wins and still have the NBA’s second-worst record is an impressive feat, to be sure. And to be able to do so thanks to the efforts of rookies like Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart, and a young star-in-the-making in Jerami Grant is all the better.

Granted, most of those teams were suffering from injuries or COVID absences (or a whole forced relocation in the case of the Raptors), but in the 2020-21 season, that’s just part of the gig and everybody has to deal with those situations as best they can.

Let’s take a look at three ways the Pistons can maximize their final week of action in this one-of-a-kind NBA season.