It was just one play by Andre Drummond, but it may well have been enough to send the merest hint of an early-season shiver up the collective spines of 28* other teams.
In the third quarter of Detroit’s stunning come-from-behind road win over Portland in early November, Pistons pivot Andre Drummond camped in the paint, received an entry pass, and then unleashed a heretofore largely unseen (from him) combo of a pump fake into a deft drop-step before exploding to the rim for a dunk past three Blazer defenders.
Sure, it was a nice play in any context (even if there was more than a hint of a travel) but it also gave a glimpse of the potential in not only Drummond but in the makings of a reinvigorated Pistons franchise.
The move is at about 1:40m below.
The 6’11” Drummond posted three 20+-point, 20+-rebound games in the opening six contests and after that torrid opening is now averaging 17.9 points and a league-leading 17.1 rebounds per game.
There was even some early chatter about the possibility of the UConn alum becoming the first player to average a 20-20 double since Wilt Chamberlain in 1968-69, and although that seems unlikely now, it still gives you an idea of Drummond’s elevated impact.
(As a side note, just to give you an idea of how utterly insane Wilt’s numbers were, that was the tenth straight season he averaged at least 20 points and 20 rebounds. Ridiculous.)
Drummond has also added some nifty jump hooks into his repertoire and in reality, the only thing stopping him from completely terrorising the league is a woeful inability to hit his free throws – he’s presently hitting an anaemic 43.6 per cent.
But it’s not just Andre The Giant who is raising the hopes of a second redux of Motor City Madness after years in the wilderness.
Eyebrows were raised when Detroit handed guard Reggie Jackson an off-season contract extension of five years and US$80million.
Given his early play, that deal now looks, if certainly not bargain-basement, at least some value for money.
Averaging over 19 points per game, Jackson has been a scoring threat from the get-go (albeit having, like Drummond, also cooled off slightly), and while it’s one thing to have a low-post beast like Drummond, it’s quite another to have an explosive scorer who can also get said low-post beast the ball in prime spots, especially in pick-and-roll situations, something Jackson has excelled at in the early going.
But it should come as no surprise to those who watch the NBA closely that the Pistons have been constructed as such.
President and coach Stan Van Gundy has clearly been intent on building a team similar in make-up to the Orlando squad he led to the 2009 Finals.
Start with a relatively raw, athletic, glass-eating centre – previously Dwight Howard, now Drummond – and build around your defensive lynchpin.
Throw in versatile wing position players (Marcus Morris, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and promising rookie Stanley Johnson) and a power forward that can stretch opposing defences, in this case Ersan Ilyasova, and you have the makings of a team that should be primed to make a run over the coming seasons.
Indeed, one wonders just how good Detroit would’ve been had Orlando’s Tobias Harris or even, god forbid, Golden State’s Draymond Green signed with the Pistons.
The emergence of Caldwell-Pope, and in particular, Johnson, will be crucial, with the rookie showing some glimpses of his undeniable talent in the defeat at Golden State earlier this month, tallying 20 points and seven boards.
Australian big man Aron Baynes, while still finding his feet on a new team after several years of established success (and just as crucially, stability) should yet prove to be a handy addition with his work ethic and smarts.
What remains to be seen however, is how the eventual return of guard Brandon Jennings affects team chemistry.
Jennings is expected to return from his Achilles tendon injury sometime in late December and there’s really only two ways his comeback can go.
If – an Oliver Miller sized if, granted – he can accept a 6th man-type bench scoring role, the Pistons suddenly have the one thing they’ve consistently lacked so far this season.
However, if that role somehow offends Jennings and he refuses to buy in to the Van Gundy ethos, expect to see GM Jeff Bower ship the 6’1″ playmaker out, and quickly at that.
Make no mistake, these aren’t your father’s Bad Boy Pistons, or even your older brother’s Big Shot Billups and Big Ben Wallace title-winning iteration.
There’s still a long way to go for this team, its defence is still problematic and depth is a real concern, Jennings’ return and its potential pros and cons notwithstanding.
Johnson has displayed some typical rookie development issues, tallying double-digit scoring in just two games since his breakout against the Warriors and struggling big-time from the field.
The two-steps-forward-one-step-back growing pains have been on display after a fast start to the season.
Wins over Atlanta, Chicago and Cleveland have shown Detroit’s potency but defeats to the struggling Nets, Lakers and Kings (among others) show the consistency problems in full.
But contrast this season with the spineless malaise that was on full display this time last year and it’s little wonder there’s some hope around the Palace of Auburn Hills.
Following a 104-93 home defeat to the Dubs on November 30, 2014, the Pistons were 3-14 and mired in the middle of what would become a hellacious 13-game losing skid.
Defeat after numbing defeat, 17 out of 19 in all and in the end Van Gundy decided it was easier (and better for the team’s development) to pay Josh Smith not to play for him anymore, waiving the enigmatic forward in a stunning move.
It was, if not a tipping point, then at least a warning klaxon that the acceptance of mediocrity was no longer acceptable.
So, yes, they’ll probably hover around the .500 mark all season, and yes, they’ll battle for one of the last playoff spots in the East and yes, their absolute ceiling this year might be around 45 wins, but it’s the potential for success in the seasons to follow that really intrigues.
The Pistons are coming, it’s only a matter of when, not if.
*Yes, 28. The Warriors don’t care. They’re Eliot Ness right now. Utterly untouchable.
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