Many national outlets have the Detroit Pistons finishing with a higher seed next season than last, with the most common predictions being 4th or 5th seed in the Eastern Conference. However, these outlets also may be underestimating the Pistons’ capacity for improvement. The most recent high-profile prediction comes from Bleacher Report, who has the Pistons going 45-37 (just 1 more win than last season).
Underrating the Detroit Pistons
Writer Andy Bailey does admit that “each member of the young core…should still be improving” but does not reflect it in his predicted win total. Especially with key injuries and departures leading to depleted teams in the East next season, the Pistons’ win total can actually increase quite a bit even without major improvements from the team.