Believe it or not, after the action around the draft and the first few hours of free agency, 13 of the top 14 players have now been located to the NBA’s Western Conference. With the power structure in the league shifting, the Detroit Pistons really don’t have much of an excuse to not make the playoffs in 2017-18.
This take might seem a bit aggressive to some, but the Eastern Conference is virtually without superstars outside of the Cleveland Cavaliers. With Paul George being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Jimmy Butler being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Gordon Hayward possibly being more inclined to stay in the West now that he won’t be able to join forces with George in Boston, the Pistons should climb the ranks of the conference by default.