By George B. Eichorn
Year 3 at Little Caesars Arena is here as the Detroit Pistons open their 2019-20 season next week Thursday against the Atlanta Hawks. Fans are hoping for better results than last season when the club made the playoffs yet lost three straight to the Milwaukee Bucks.
The club had a full week of practices before opening the regular season October 23 at Indiana. Dwayne Casey returns as head coach with several new cast members. Former all-star point guard Derrick Rose (an ex-Chicago Bull) is a proven weapon off the bench as he demonstrated in pre-season action.
Pistons starters will include center Andrew Drummond, forwards Blake Griffin (coming off a terrific season) and Tony Snell and guards Bruce Brown and Reggie Jackson. Luke Kenard joins Rose as a sparkplug off the bench.
The Pistons have loaded up the roster with veteran players who have post-season experience and something left in the tank to help here. This is not what anyone calls a “youth movement.”
Backups also include forward Markieff Morris (from Washington) center Thon Maker, guards Langston Galloway and Syi Mykhailium and either Tim Frazier or rookie Sekou Doumbouva.The last roster spot appeared to be a battle between Joe Johnson and Christian Wood.
Owner Tom Gores and senior basketball adviser Ed Stefanski need Pistons wins to help fill the 20,000 seats at LCA. Many games over the last two seasons were noticeably absent of fans. Now, the team wants to demonstrate on the court that its off-season tinkering will help.
The Pistons have a sparkling new 185,000-square feet practice facility and team headquarters (downtown New Center Area) just a few miles from LCA. It was opened earlier in October to great excitement; its $90 million price tag shows Gores’ commitment to the city and its fanbase.The team will work out, train and interact with the community at the new facility. The new Henry Ford Pistons Performance Center is the first NBA practice facility to introduce publicly accessible food with the soon to open Plum Market. Blink Fitness will also open a location there.
George Blaha is in his record-setting 44th season as the team’s lead play-by-play broadcaster on Fox Sports Detroit and FSD Plus with Greg Kelser mikeside. Mark Champion is back on radio with Rick Mahorn as heard on The Ticket, 97.1 FM and WWJ 950 AM. Select games are slated for NBA-TV, ESPN and TNT.
Schedule highlights: NBA Champion Toronto Raptors on December 18 and January 31, Los Angeles Lakers on March 22) and the Golden State Warriors on March 20. The Pistons giveaway schedule includes t-shirts (opening night), beanies, scarfs, lunch boxes, hats, pennants and a build-a-bear on team mascot Hooper’s birthday (February 2.)
Eichorn predictions: Golden State over Milwaukee in NBA Finals. Pistons to finish sixth in the Eastern Conference, qualifying for the playoffs.
