No. 20: Detroit Pistons
Apr 6, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Detroit Pistons point guard Brandon Knight (7) looks on during a free throw in the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. The Timberwolves won 107-101. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
The Pistons have had one of the best offseasons in the association, in my opinion, adding Josh Smith and reuniting with Chauncey Billups. The Pistons will be a strong defensive team with some excitement on offense.
But the team as too many question marks to be ranked much higher, at least for now. Chief among them is the development of Brandon Knight. Despite getting Jason Terry’d by DeAndre Jordan, Knight actually had a decent season for the Pistons, averaging 13.3 points and four assists per game. But those numbers need to go up as he continues to develop into a legitimate scorer.
The other question is if they will get the bang-for-their-buck for Smith. If he becomes the black hole he was in Atlanta and stops any chance of a fluid Pistons offense, then this will be about the right place for the Pistons to be ranked.