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NBA Detroit Pistons

Detroit Pistons Should Adopt Philadelphia 76ers’ Rebuilding Plan

By @Kramerica100

Getty Images

Getty Images

The Detroit Pistons are entering the month of December on an eight-game losing streak and have the second-worst record in the NBA. Only the Philadelphia 76ers, who are barely an NBA team, have fewer wins than the Pistons. Detroit didn’t come into the season on anyone’s short list of Eastern Conference contenders, but no one thought it would be this bad. Stan Van Gundy teams aren’t supposed to be capable of this level of incompetency.

Perhaps even above all of the losses, the most frustrating part about this team is there is no real plan to get better. Which is why they should look to the 76ers to see how to get the most out of losing.

Some people might argue that what Philadelphia is doing is bad for the sport or just plain wrong, but it’s hard to argue that it’s not in the best interest of the team. Acquiring players such as Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid and Dario Saric give the 76ers real hope for the future; Detroit’s future assets start and finish with Andre Drummond.

At 3-14, it might seem like the Pistons have already adopted the tanking plan, but their roster is currently underachieving at a rate that is unlikely to sustain. Their upcoming schedule starts to get easier and the wins will come, which might not be a good thing.

The obvious move everyone associated with the Pistons would want to make is to deal Josh Smith. The only problem is that every other team has watched him play as well. The Pistons will likely have to bite the bullet on Smith and deal with him for the next two years.

Smith might be unmovable, but there are a few other players who Detroit should be able to trade this season. Brandon Jennings heads up that list. If you don’t watch him on defense, then he is having a great season and he only has one year left on his contract, so it won’t be too much for a team to take on financially.

Greg Monroe is another player who Detroit needs to look at moving before the trade deadline. He becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, and by all accounts he won’t have Detroit high on his list of teams he’s interested in. The Pistons need to get something for Monroe before he walks away in free agency.

The rest of this season and the coming offseason need to be all about acquiring future assets. Van Gundy needs to bring in some hope to one of the most hopeless rosters in the league. It won’t be pretty to watch at first, but is anyone enjoying what’s happening right now?

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