Ranking the Most Disappointing Players on the Detroit Pistons This Season

For a year that should widely be considered a success for the Detroit Pistons, of course there were the disappointments.

The playoff did not go as many fans expected, and certain players failed to live up to their expectations this year. While the Pistons still look to be ahead of schedule for the future, it’s clear that some players need to have a big summer.

Here are the most disappointing Pistons this year, ranked from least to most.

5. Jaden Ivey (Least)

For a player not even on the Pistons anymore, he’s still worth a quick mention. Ivey began this season with an injury, but there was serious hope that when returned, he’d make a solid front court next to Cade Cunningham.

Instead, Ivey struggled to find his way back into the rotation, struggling in every phase of the game. That left the Pistons scrambling near the trade deadline to find a partner as his value tanked.

Luckily, guys like Daniss Jenkins stepped up, limiting the impact, but it was definitely a noteworthy disappointment this year.

4. Kevin Huerter

After being acquired from the Bulls in the Ivey trade, the expectation was the Huerter would work his way into the rotation and be an improvement to the bench unit.

Instead, it ended up being more of a static move for the Pistons. He could only average eight points per game, and suffered a shoulder injury that limited him in the playoffs.

Jenkins and Caris LeVert were the more useful backups, and Huerter just never seemed to find his footing. That lack of depth ended up hurting the Pistons come playoff time.

Now Huerter heads to free agency, and it seems unlikely the Pistons will be bringing him back. It was effectively a lose-lose trade for both teams, as Detroit will still be searching for another backup guard who can play better defense.

3. Isaiah Stewart

The enforcer of the team, Stewart really began to lose his spot in the rotation throughout the season.

He dealt with injuries and suspensions throughout the year, but his play on the court was just never reliable enough to be a true asset to the team. Then in the postseason, it was rare for him to even see 10 minutes.

Stewart is still a fan favorite and has his value on the bench, but a slightly undersized big who has serious offensive limitations is a hard play. If Detroit really wants to get serious next year, finding a big who can really improve the bench unit may be a priority. A new location could also help Stewart find a bigger role and some consistency.

2. Jalen Duren

This is a weird one because of how well Duren really did play this season. He broke out during the regular season, averaging just under points and a double-double. He even earned his first All-Star nod and looked like he’ll be the team’s big for years to come.

Then the postseason came. Duren became nearly unplayable in both of his series. Against Cleveland, he failed to score 10 points in four games. He failed to grab 10 rebounds in five of them. There were times where Paul Reed was the better big.

Hopefully it’s something that can be fixed, but his play in the postseason was the biggest letdown of the year. Being inexperienced and making mistakes is excusable and even expected, but to not even be playable at times is something that needs to change this summer.

1. Ron Holland (Most)

Being the fifth overall pick in a weak 2024 draft, there was serious hope that Holland would be able to develop into a quality starter or at worst, a rotation piece.

Instead, Holland has proven to be a great defender, but a complete liability on offense. He has no jumper, and for a team that is desperately in need of spacing, he became unplayable.

He has a similar set of skills to Ausar Thompson, though Holland is a worse defender. That makes Holland virtually unplayable for the majority of the game. He lost his spot in the rotation entirely in the Orlando series, and couldn’t play over 10 minutes against Cleveland.

Detroit may already be looking to move on if he can’t prove he can develop his offense game ASAP.

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