The Detroit Pistons are tied to a future built around Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin. Where can they look to get some perimeter help in the NBA Draft? The Pistons were swept out of the playoffs by the Milwaukee Bucks, showing just how over-their-heads they were without Blake Griffin in the first two games. But
Detroit Pistons
Previewing the first-round series between the Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons with shot charts, assist maps, offensive style charts and expected win probabilities. Shot charts The chart presents the approximate shooting percentages for Giannis and the remainder of the Bucks’ roster from less than 16 feet and from beyond the arc. It is important to
The Detroit Pistons hit their ceiling, getting swept out of the first round of the playoffs by the Milwaukee Bucks. What do they need to do this offseason to take the next step? The Pistons got a stunning, career-season from Blake Griffin and still struggled to lock down a playoff spot until the final days
DETROIT, MI – APRIL 20: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks looks on against the Detroit Pistons during Game Three of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on April 20, 2019 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph,
Blake Griffin experienced a career renaissance this season. Can the Detroit Pistons build around him and on their playoff experience? This was the season Blake Griffin found his career’s second wind. Griffin, 30, averaged 24 points and played in 75 games for the first time since the 2013-14 season — when he finished third in
DETROIT, MI – APRIL 22: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks dunks the ball against the Detroit Pistons during Game Four of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on April 22, 2019 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this
MILWAUKEE, WI – APRIL 17: George Hill #3 of the Milwaukee Bucks walks through the tunnel at halftime during Game Two of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs against the Detroit Pistons on April 17, 2019 at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading
The NBA Playoffs are finally here, but at what cost? This week, the community said goodbye to two certain Hall of Famers — Dwyane Wade and Dirk Nowitzki. Beyond their cemented statuses as adored fan favorites for nearly 20 years, the pair also boast an insane amount of professional achievements. Wade finishes his career with
DETROIT, MI – APRIL 7: Blake Griffin #23 of the Detroit Pistons looks on during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on April 7, 2019 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions
As the Detroit Pistons try to get an upset bid off on the right foot, they look likely to be without Blake Griffin for Game 1 against the Bucks. The Detroit Pistons needed a win in their regular season finale to earn a playoff spot, and they easily dispatched the New York Knicks 115-89 without Blake
MILWAUKEE, WI – APRIL 14: Brook Lopez #11 of the Milwaukee Bucks smiles against the Detroit Pistons during Game One of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on April 14, 2019 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User
Last year in this space, we introduced a metric called Wins Above Age-Derived Expectation, or WAADE. It measures exactly what it sounds like: how many more wins an NBA team actually gets than you would have expected them to based on their minutes-weighted age. In introducing the metric, we highlighted several teams that stood out
We’re finally entering the homestretch of the 2018-2019 NBA season. Every team in the league has either five or six games left in their season. With such little time left, the playoff picture is almost all but formed. The top eight teams in the Western Conference have all clinched playoff berths. What remains to be
There’s a reason why “Unorthodox” is the operative word here. There were several big winners from the trade deadline. Philadelphia got the perfect and relatively young scorer in Tobias Harris to put next to Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Toronto added an experienced, jack-of-all-trades center in Marc Gasol to cement their status as a contender.
The NBA regular season is a marathon, not a sprint. The action after the All-Star break is filled with teams giving younger players an extended look, franchises making a deliberate playoff push while trying to sneak in rest for their stars and some squads dare we say it – tanking. Every season there are more
Al-Farouq Aminu remembers when he was on a minimum contract. It was five summers ago in 2014. The Dallas Mavericks had signed him to a two-year, $2.1 million deal with a player option for the second season. After playing as a rookie with the Los Angeles Clippers and spending the next three years in New
When a young team that has been steadily improving for a while finally has its breakthrough season, there are a lot of people who end up getting a lot of attention. The team’s coach, of course, gets a fair share of the spotlight and ends up in awards conversation. The star player ends up at
On Thursday, the NBA’s trade deadline hit all zeroes — along with plenty of fireworks — and now buyout season is right around the corner. But as franchises continue bolstering their roster ahead of the postseason (or lottery-bound future efforts), another deadline passed recently without much fanfare. Last month, the deadline to sign players to
Remember when the consensus with the NBA Trade Deadline was that it was going to be pretty boring with more buyers than sellers? Those were some good times, because a lot has changed since then. Suddenly, the Grizzlies decided to end their golden age of basketball, Kristaps Porzingis and the Knicks divorced and rumors are swirling
MIAMI, FL – DECEMBER 22: Thon Maker #7 of the Milwaukee Bucks looks on prior to the game against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena on December 22, 2018 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms
The Bucks traded for Nikola Mirotic, shoring up a playoff rotation that now should be aiming for the Finals. The story of the trade that sent Nikola Mirotic to Milwaukee unfolded strangely over the span of just a few short minutes. First, we found out that Mirotic was going to Milwaukee. There were speculations that
While the Reggie Bullock trade is a marginal win for both teams, the two franchises involved are looking for more than just marginal wins. The Lakers, with Anthony Davis seemingly off the table, elected to bring in a role player for the short term instead, by sending Svi Mykhailiuk with a second-round pick for Reggie
DETROIT, MI – OCTOBER 25: Stanley Johnson #7 of the Detroit Pistons is introduced during a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 25, 2018 at Little Caesars Arena in Auburn Hills, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and
As we approach the trade deadline this season, rumors, speculation, and reports will begin to circulate on social media. Some may be grounded, others may be purely opinion-based. Regardless of what comes up, there is always one guarantee: Trades will be made. Whether teams are trying to improve their roster before the playoffs, mix up
Blake Griffin pointed out that he was frustrated with his teammates’ lack of focus, and Reggie Jackson showed us exactly what he meant. The Detroit Pistons aren’t quite where they want to be. They are just 21-26, and are currently on the outside looking in at the playoff picture. After losing two in a row,
Blake Griffin is showing a more refined version of his game this season, but without the right personnel in Detroit, the Pistons can’t make the most of it. Having to move from Los Angeles to Detroit is a pretty good analogy for the big difference in teammate quality Blake Griffin is experiencing by going from
With the first half of the NBA season firmly in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look toward All-Star Weekend, the looming trade deadline and, ultimately, the high-stakes playoff chase. Although most of this year’s rookie class — minus one outstanding potential exception — won’t be headed to Charlotte for anything outside of the Rising
LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 12: Blake Griffin #23 of the Detroit Pistons looks on during the game against the LA Clippers on January 12, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and
In the NBA, tough decisions must be made. Sometimes it’s a front office deciding to go in another direction with a trade or release. Other times, it’s a coach having to pull a guy out of the active rotation. Most of the time, however, it’s a player figuring out the next move to benefit his
TORONTO, ON – MAY 03: Head Coach Dwane Casey of the Toronto Raptors applauds in the second half of Game Two of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre on May 3, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that,