Some Thoughts on a few Basketball Clubs

Will the Detroit Pistons ever win a game? Maybe next season. I’m not a hater for saying that. I like the direction Detroit is heading with all the young talent on their team. That’s also where I disagree with those who say they’re wasting Cade Cunningham and should trade him away. Even though they’ve lost 27 games in a row, Cade is averaging 22 and 7 in those games, even scoring 43 a few games ago. He’s just 22, and it’s not like he thought the Pistons were going to win a championship when he was drafted first overall two years ago. Inevitably, they’re going to end up with at least a top 4 pick in the 2024 Draft and after that, it’s just trusting the process until they’re good enough for a free agent to consider them. Just look at what Jalen Duren is doing – he’s just 19, and he’s grabbing 11 rebounds against fully-grown men who are bigger than him. I’m not an NBA coach, nor am I a general manager (yet), but the Pistons have to figure it out on the court – they have all the pieces. 

Let’s talk about the Indiana Pacers. From only winning 25 games two seasons ago to being the best offense in the NBA right now, the leap they’ve made is insane. Everyone online is saying it’s Tyrese Haliburton and how he’s the best guard in the NBA right now. Although I wouldn’t say he’s the best guard in the NBA, he’s the best passer for sure. I’d say it’s what Rick Carlisle did with Haliburton that puts the Pacers ahead of everyone this season. There are tons of videos analyzing what they're doing, and the answer is that they never stop running. Fastbreaks exist on every possession for them. However, as we saw in the In-Season Tournament Championship game against the Lakers, it’s easier than one would think to stop. If they’re always running, put guys in front of their point guard and the result is a 20 and 11 game from Haliburton, a relatively off night. He’s become so good that teams are giving him the Jokic treatment – whenever he comes out of the game, throw up as many shots as possible praying to cut the lead down. I don’t know what will happen throughout the season if we see more teams catching on like the Lakers did. 

The Kings are a pretty good basketball team. The only problem is that they are SO top-heavy. When De’Aaron Fox, their superstar guard from Kentucky is on point, nobody can stop them. Unless you are the 8-win Portland Trail Blazers on December 26 who won by 17 with Fox scoring 43. But when he has an off night, they almost always get blown out and can’t even reach 100 points. Luckily, their other fist, Domantas Sabonis, hasn’t missed a game this season and is consistently getting 10 in either points, rebounds, or assists. Sure, the Kings do have Keegan Murray, a budding superstar from Iowa, as a potential third star, but take the game on the 26th: Murray went 2/11 from the field and 1/7 from three. Ten days before, however, Murray had 47 points on 70% shooting. I love Keegan, and I hope he helps Sacramento push for a higher seed, especially because of his growing defensive presence. I know all players have ups and downs, but I’m just worried about the longevity and depth that this Kings roster doesn’t have.