Detroit Pistons Odds, Predictions and 2023/24 NBA Season Preview

The Detroit Pistons ended last season with an abysmal 17-65 record - the worst in the NBA - but they have a new-look team going into the 2023/24 campaign and will be hoping for significant improvements.

The Pistons have a new head coach in place in the shape of Monty Williams, who won the Coach of the Year award in 2022 during his time in the Phoenix Suns hot-seat. Williams replaces Dwayne Casey, who has moved to the Detroit front office. 

The Pistons have won three championships in the NBA but the last of those came in 2004 and they have struggled for over a decade. Detroit have only reached the playoffs in two of the last 14 seasons, and they haven’t won a postseason game since reaching the conference finals in 2008.

2022/23 Detroit Pistons	Record: 17-65
	Result: 15th in the Eastern Conference

To win the 2023/24 NBA Championship:	+30000
To win the 2023/24 Western Conference:	+15000

Star Players

Cade Cunningham

Detroit Pistons used the No.1 pick in the 2021 Draft to select point guard Cade Cunningham and he enjoyed a strong rookie season, earning a spot on the All-Rookie First Team. 

Cunningham was one of the three finalists for Rookie of the Year honors in 2022 but missed out to Scottie Barnes of the Toronto Raptors.

The 21-year-old appeared to be on course for a breakout season last year after scoring a career-high 35 points in a defeat to Atlanta Hawks in October in a game where he came close to recording a triple-double - adding nine rebounds and eight assists - but his season was cut short by a leg injury.

In the 12 games Cunningham did play last season, he averaged 19.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and six assists while shooting 41.5% from the field. If he can pick up where he left off, he will be one of Detroit’s key men in the season ahead.

Ausar Thompson

Ausar Thompson enters the season as a rookie after Detroit used the fifth pick in the 2023 Draft to select the 20-year-old, who spent last season playing for Overtime Elite outfit City Reapers.

As with all newcomers, it remains to be seen how Thompson will adapt to life in the NBA but going into the new season he does appear to be the most likely candidate to partner Cunningham in the Detroit backcourt.

Thompson has been a point guard himself over the last few years but will probably shift to a wing position, and if he can settle into his new role quickly he could well emerge as one of the team’s stars.

Bojan Bogdanovic

With such a heavy focus on youth, Detroit need some experience to balance that out and veteran forward Bojan Bogdanovic fits the bill. The Croatian started his career in Europe but has been in the NBA since joining Brooklyn in 2014.

Last season was Bogdanovic’s first year in Detroit and he finished with career-highs in points and assists, averaging 21.6 and 2.6, and brings experience to an otherwise youthful outfit.

Coming off a FIBA World Cup campaign in which he averaged 19.1 points on 42.3 percent three-point shooting for Serbia, Bogdanovic will feel confident in his ability to put the ball in the basket.

Player additions

Ausar Thompson (SG) Draft/City Reapers

Joe Harris (SF) Brooklyn

Monté Morris (PG) Washington

Marcus Sasser (SG/PG) Houston

Malcolm Cazalon (SG) Undrafted/Mega Basket

Player departures

R. J. Hampton (SG/PG) Miami

Eugene Omoruyi (SF) Washington

Cory Joseph (PG) Golden State

Rodney McGruder (SG) Golden State

How the season starts

Detroit open the new season with a tough trip to last season’s beaten finalists as they visit the Miami Heat on October 25th, before facing the Charlotte Hornets away from home two days later.

The Pistons first home game is against bitter rivals the Chicago Bulls on October 28th and they then face a run of five games against non-conference rivals, starting with a trip to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Detroit take on the Philadelphia 76ers at home on November 10th and face the Bulls again two days later in Chicago. 

Expectations for season

The challenge for Williams will be turning the team into an outfit who can end their postseason exile, but that looks a long-term goal and his immediate task will be improving on last season’s miserable 17 wins.

Detroit have one of the lowest lines in the total regular season wins market at 27.5 victories.

Reaching the playoffs looks a big ask for this Detroit team and they are +1075 to do so. A place in the play-in tournament could be achievable if Williams is able to get the best out of his players firing and the Pistons are +600 to make the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament.

Cunningham is considered one of the contenders to be involved in the Most Improved Player conversation and he is +1200 to win that award, behind only +700 market leader Mikal Bridges, while Thompson is +3300 to be named Rookie of the Year.