FanPost

5 reasons the Pistons will finish in the top 5

Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

It's been a crazy summer. For everybody except Pistons fans. Yes, our offseason was filled with all the excitement of freshly poured corn flakes. We didn't land that big name some fans were looking for. We couldn't even manage to sign our own free agent to a long-term contract. And we drafted a little-known Billy-Dee mustache wearing type dude named Spencer. Passing over more well-known guys like Glenn Robinson. But I'm hear to tell you why NONE of that matters. Here are 5 reasons why the Pistons could finish in the top 5 of the Eastern Conference.

1. I Ain't Scared of No Eastern Conference

There are two good teams in the East. The Toronto Raptors, and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Those are the only two teams with legit all stars with no health issues, and enough depth to get through the season. Every other team has major question marks. Bradley Beal is injured ... Carmelo Anthony will be passing the ball to himself ... and are you really tring to scare me with a lineup of Deron Williams (bad knees, bad ankles), Joe Johnson, and Brook Lopez? (96 games in 3 seasons) Who gives the Pistons matchup problems? Who do the Pistons give matchup problems to? Exactly. Al Jefferson is the best center in the East, and you see what Andre Drummond did to him last preseason game.

2. Greg Monroe off the Bench

Greg Monroe is the scariest weapon coming off the bench in the entire Eastern Conference. He might be the 3rd or 4th best center in the East, in a league that doesn't have many big men starters, much less role players. He's going to eat those 2nd stringers for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And it IS the right decision for him to come off the bench on THIS team. I expect him to avg about 14 ppg in 28 minutes. That will put him square in the conversation for 6th man of the year.

3. Depth

This team has 12 guys on the roster that have played major minutes on an NBA team before. We can withstand injuries to almost any position and still be ok. In some cases (cough D.J. Augustin) the backup is better than the starter. If Josh Smith goes out, Greg can step in. If Caron Butler get hurt, Kyle Singler or Cartier Martin have experience. Most other teams in the East don't have that luxury. And if everybody stays healthy. A bench of Jonas Jerebko, Singler, D.J., and Monroe is formidable. A little Bynumite here and there won't hurt either.

4. Inexperienced Coaches

There are many new coaches in new places. Some will be coaching NBA teams for the first time. And yes SVG is new to Detroit, but he is the only one coming to a new team with a proven system that has worked in the NBA. Stan Van Gundy knows how to get the most out of his players. He is especially good with bigs. This is why I expect big numbers from Andre Drummond this year. I also expect Josh Smith to be less erratic with his shot selection. Most NBA players are capable of listening. The problem is, they will only listen to you if you have a track record. No problem there.

5. Defense ... Defense ... Defense...

Quick name me a game where the Pistons got blown out last season?... I'll wait.

Now, name me a game where we had a lead in the 4th quarter and blew it? (Ok that's enough!)

The Pistons were in every game last year. We lost games on mental mistakes, bad shots, and poor defense. I have enough faith in Stan that those issues will be corrected. Because if you don't correct them, he has a nice hard bench that he will sit you on. Dre is a freak of nature and is very quick on the second jump. There is no reason why he shouldn't average 2.5 blocks per game. Josh Smith historically has also protected the paint. I even saw a bit of D from Kyle Singler this preseason. You're not going to play for Van Gundy, if you don't play D. And in a conference of poor shooters and few big men, I like our chances.

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