ESPN released its annual NBA preview, ranking the league 1-30 and making projections for each team. There was little surprise at the top but there were some interesting choices and predictions throughout. The Eastern Conference got three teams in the top ten, with Milwaukee at #2, Philadelphia at #3 and Brooklyn at #9. What wasn’t surprising was the lack of love for the Detroit Pistons, who were picked 22nd overall.
ESPN projected a 38-44 record for Detroit with a best-case scenario of 46-36. The Pistons rarely get attention from the national media, so it wasn’t shocking that most predictions have them around the same number of wins and finishing just out of the playoffs.