Pistons Look to Become More Competitive Through 2023 NBA Draft

 Even though the Detroit Pistons have received some valuable talent the last few drafts, unfortunately they  have continued to struggle both offensively and defensively.  With the 2023 Draft picks in Marcus Sasser and Ausar Thompson, the team hopes their fortunes will change.  Both players respectively will address issues on both sides of the ball.  If these players perform as expected, which remains to be seen, this team should improve immensely.

One of the most glaring aspects of the game that needs improvement is the Pistons’ offensive output.  In the past, this squad would live or die by the three point shot.  Furthermore, their inside game was non existent.  If they made 3 pointers on a given night, they would probably win, if they didn’t they would lose. With the addition of Marcus Sasser, they hope to make these shots more consistently.  In his college career with Houston, Sasser shot 38.4 percent from the long line, while averaging 6.9 attempts per game. The offense will hopefully be further improved with his propensity to dish out assists.  If these types of performances are translated to the NBA, the Pistons may find the ability to diversify offensively.

With a brief look at the numbers from last season, the Pistons gave up well over 100 points per game, and needless to say, struggled mightily on defense.  They hope to improve on this facet of the game with the signing of Ausar Thompson.  This Draft pick out of the Overtime Elite League averaged 2.4 steals per game, and had 4 steals several times.  Obviously, it remains to be seen whether Thompson can improve the team’s defensive prowess, but with output like this, it certainly looks promising.

Right now, the Pistons are waiting for previous draft picks to perform as expected, and it is hoped that Sasser and Thompson produce immediate results.  If this scenario comes to fruition, this team should become better imminently.  Assists should increase, as well as, Cade Cunningham with others could become exponentially better.  In theory, due to improved offensive strategies, higher percentage shots will present themselves.  If many of these things occur, more victories shouldn’t be far behind.

For years now, we have heard from ownership and other team leadership that we are building a championship culture in the Pistons organization.  We’ve made big moves that haven’t panned out, drafted elite players that did not meet expectations, and hired the best coaches to get this team perform, and nothing has proved to be the right formula so far.  Will these two change our destiny, only time will tell.