Last summer, the Pistons signed center Andre Drummond to a max contract, making him the highest-paid player in franchise history.
After his All-Star season, all was supposed to be well and the Pistons were supposed to be headed back to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2008-09.
A funny thing happened on the way back to the postseason.
After Reggie Jackson’s knee tendinitis provided an inauspicious start to the season, the Pistons struggled — maybe the one most affected was Drummond, Jackson’s pick-and-roll partner.
By the eye test, Drummond looked to have a down season last year, when he averaged 13.