Preseason Finale, Culture Changes, and Chauncy Billups | The Weekly Drive
Detroit wrapped up its preseason, there is a culture change happening, and the Pistons have a new Hall of Fame member.
Hey there Pistons fans, and thanks for joining me in this edition of the Weekly Drive. We will talk about wrapping up the preseason, a culture change in the locker room, and Chauncy Billups getting inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Let’s get into it.
Preseason Finale
The Pistons wrapped up their preseason with a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers by 108-92. Here are a few thoughts on Detroit’s last one before the real games start:
The starting lineup for this game—Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Tim Hardaway Jr., Tobias Harris, and Jalen Duren—is likely the one you will get on Opening Night.
Marcus Sasser is not a viable option as a point guard. He was unable to get the Pistons into offensive sets and the Cavs picked on him on defense. Sasser’s pathway to playing time is a treacherous one, making his future on the team equally clouded.
J.B. Bickerstaff went with a very deep bench to get a look at the G League guys, with the starters only playing seven minutes. Daniss Jenkins and Lamar Stevens played well in that group. However, after the game, the Pistons released five players including Stevens.
Next up is Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers. That one counts.
Culture Change
Its no secret that the aura surrounding the Pistons last year reeked of…well, whatever vile thing you have sitting in the back of your fridge. Between a record-setting 28-game losing streak, the despondent Monty Williams, and more baffling decisions from the front office, it was not great to be in or around the organization.
But that seems to all be changing. A new front office and coaching staff have things moving in a better direction, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic. A more strict dress code. No dwelling on the past. Setting a standard of professionalism and discipline. All things missing from the Pistons over the last few years.
One such change is that veterans cannot wear hoodies, a characteristic of the NBA of years past. “Just the last shred of that old-school mentality,” Bickerstaff told The Athletic. “Just growing up with my dad (longtime NBA coach Bernie Bickerstaff), you don’t wear anything on your head during the game. You don’t wear jewelry. You practice how you play.”
“Over the course of 82 games, if your habits aren’t right, you’re just going to wear down physically and mentally,” Langdon said via The Athletic. “If you’re not in physical shape, or emotional shape, mental shape, you can’t finish games.”
Tougher conditioning drills. Not talking about the past, or how nice it was to play with certain players (LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, in the case of Malik Beasley). The veterans are teaching the young guys how to be leaders. And the buy-in is there.
“We respect (Bickerstaff) all the way,” Beasley said. “And we’ll do whatever he needs us to do.”
Chauncy Billups, Hall of Famer
One of the most beloved members of Detroit Pistons lore is point guard Chauncy Billups, the tip of the spear of the 2004 “Goin to Work” championship team. Billups spent eight of his 17 seasons in the Motor City, averaging 16.5 points and 6.2 assists per game en route to four All-Star Game appearances. But the Pistons defeating the mighty Los Angeles Lakers in the 2004 NBA Finals is the crowning achievement.
The 2004 Lakers were the original hated Miami “Big 3” evil empire Golden State Warriors. That Lakers squad featured Hall of Famers at every turn: Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neale, Gary Payton, and Karl Malone. Rick Fox and Horace Grant were no slouches either.
Detroit beat them 4-1 in the NBA Finals, with Billups as the series MVP. The Pistons had one All-Star that season in center Ben Wallace. It was a true dichotomy of teams: one of overwhelming star power, and the other of hard-nosed determination and defense. Billups was one of the pillars of that championship team, and now he is immortalized in basketball lore forever.
News and Notes
The Pistons signed Cole Swider to a two-way contract, the team annonced on Monday. Swider, 25, is a sweet-shooting forward who has spent time with the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat.
The Pistons signed Alondes Williams to a two-way contract, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. He was with the Los Angeles Clippers throughout training camp.
Remember Monty Williams? He will reportedly be coaching at TMI Episcopal in San Antonio where his son plays, per NBA Insider Chris Haynes. Has to the the most expensive high school coach ever.
Detroit waived wing Tosan Evbuomwan, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. Evbuomwan averaged 5.9 points and 3.5 rebounds per game last season.
Detroit also waived Lamar Stevens, Aaron Estrada, Javonte McCoy, and Tolu Smith, and Dereon Seabron.
Former Piston Aaron Baynes is retiring after nine seasons, two of which were played in Detroit.
Former Piston Buddy Boeheim signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder per Ryan Stiles.
Former Piston Killian Hayes was waived by the Brooklyn Nets.
The Milwaukee Bucks signed former Pistons’ first-round pick Henry Ellenson to an Exhibit-10 deal according to Eric Nehm. Ellenson has not appeared in an NBA game since 2021.
That’s a wrap on the NBA preseason and, all things considered, the Pistons look like a vastly improved team over last season. The energy is better, morale is higher, and the roster has real NBA players on it. My official prediction - 30-52.
Thanks for reading, and see you all next week.
Mike