Pistons are hopeful for the playoffs as recent result shows positive outcome towards…

The Detroit Pistons have a rich playoff history, but their recent performance hasn’t lived up to it. The last time they won a playoff game was during Barack Obama’s presidency, and they haven’t made an appearance in the playoffs since Blake Griffin’s one-leg season, where they were swept in the first round. This drought sets a record for futility not only in the NBA but in all of North American professional sports. However, there’s reason for optimism this year as the NBA playoffs have shown increased parity.

With the Denver Nuggets eliminated, we’re guaranteed to have a sixth different NBA champion in as many years. None of the remaining teams are super teams that appear unbeatable, and two of them, Minnesota and Indiana, were recently struggling. Although Detroit still has a ways to go, there’s evidence that turnarounds can happen quickly, as seen with the Timberwolves going from winning 23 games to being on the brink of the NBA Finals.

The remaining teams in the playoffs have all found their key players through the draft, such as Anthony Edwards in Minnesota, Luka Doncic in Dallas, Jayson Tatum in Boston, and Tyrese Haliburton in Indiana. Hopefully, the Pistons have their own budding star in Cade Cunningham and can start building around him, as these teams have done with their stars.

So far, Detroit hasn’t made significant moves to support Cade, lacking meaningful veteran or role player additions. However, these playoffs highlight the impact of role players, with teams like Minnesota benefiting from Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jaden McDaniels’ strong defense, Dallas thriving with PJ Washington and Derrick Jones Jr., the Pacers getting a boost from TJ McConnell, and Boston relying on Al Horford and Derrick White.

While star power is crucial, these playoffs demonstrate that teams with strong role players can succeed. Detroit needs to recognize this and focus on acquiring the right role players to complement Cade. Waiting for a perfect, inexpensive, All-Star-caliber player without trading talent may be unrealistic. The playoffs show that there are multiple paths to building a successful team, but the key is finding players who complement your stars, something Detroit has neglected to do.