The Detroit Pistons finished 10 games out of the playoffs last season, their third straight missed postseason, after posting a 25-41 record that was the NBA's ninth-worst. While they were no great shakes on the defensive end — allowing opponents to score an average of 106.3 points per 100 possessions, according to Basketball-Reference.com, ranking 22nd among the 30 NBA teams in defensive efficency — where they really struggled was on offense.
The punchless Pistons scored just 101 points per 100 possessions (fifth-worst in the league), making just 43.8 percent of their field-goal attempts (sixth-worst) and turning in the league's third-worst Effective Field Goal percentage (a stat explained here). That's a tough way to win, no matter how much we all like Greg Monroe (which is quite a lot, indeed).
Coming off the lockout-shortened campaign, Pistons coach Lawrence Frank told Perry A. Farrell of the Detroit Free Press that he's really glad he'll have a full training camp with his players this season to help foster their development. In doing so, though, he used a turn of phrase that, while probably unintentional, was pretty perfect:
"We're growing. It's brick by brick."
Zing!
We're sure bringing in efficient swingman Corey Maggette in exchange for shot-happy off-guard Ben Gordon will help on that score, Coach Frank ... except that he shot 37.3 percent from the floor for the Charlotte Bobcats last year, so, um, maybe not. Oh, well. All in all, it's all just bricks in the wall.
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