State of the 2018-19 Pistons: October

I want to check in monthly on the state of the Pistons - both as a way to compare them to the rest of the league and as a way to compare their past performance to their current situation month after month. Yes, I don’t have Crosseyed’s fancy spreadsheet (feel free to post it in the comments, Cross!), and yes, it’s early - the Pistons haven’t played 10 games yet - but we can only measure what data we have.

I also want to keep track of all the stuff that occurs in a long NBA season. Last year, this Pistons team went through a roller coaster of highs and lows, from starting 14-6 to the Reggie Jackson injury to the Blake Griffin trade to the last-gasp playoff push. I want to capture some of the moments and results that make an NBA season so special - stuff you forget about in the whirlwind of a seven-month regular season.

With that said, here are the Pistons in October:

Numbers

Record: 4-3 (1-2 against teams over .500, 3-1 against teams under .500)

ORTG: 107.3 (19th)
DRTG: 108.7 (16th)
NetRtng: -1.4 (18th)

Narrative

The Pistons defeated the Brooklyn Nets in their first game of the season, led by an Andre Drummond 20-20 game (and a made three-pointer!).

Blake Griffin helped subdue the Philadelphia 76ers with a herculean 50-point effort. Being the first player to drop 50 in a season gets you some national (and local) attention.

Andre Drummond and Joel Embiid engaged in a war of words on and off the court.

The Pistons lost Luke Kennard to a shoulder injury in a win against the Cavaliers.

We had our first Pistons coverage controversy of the season. Andre responded in kind.

Henry Ellenson’s fourth-year team option was declined, putting his future with the team (and in the NBA?) in doubt.

The Pistons came out with a new jersey. Fans were... less than enthused.

Next Month

How will the Pistons bounce back from losing three straight games to end October?

Will we see Luke Kennard re-join the rotation if he’s healthy in November?

Will Stanley Johnson keep up his statistically solid (unless you look at his shooting numbers) play?

Bruce Brown has apparently cracked Dwane Casey’s rotation, but how long will he stay there?

Will Khyri Thomas and Henry Ellenson find success in Grand Rapids?

How will Blake Griffin hold up under a big offensive load?

Is Reggie Jackson going to keep shooting seven threes a game?

Tell us what you think is going to happen in November in the comments below.