2. Manage to Stay Healthy

This is a goal that any team should have.  However, it is more applicable to the Pistons due to the fact that two of their most important players, Reggie Jackson and Blake Griffin, have had issues staying healthy the past few seasons.

The Pistons have had the past two seasons derailed due to injuries to Reggie Jackson.  They were viewed as a young, up-and-coming team when they were swept by the Cavaliers in the 1st round back in 2015-2016.  The Pistons were competitive and they had one of the youngest rosters to make the playoffs that year.  The roster has changed a bit since then, but the importance of Reggie Jackson has not changed.

This team goes when Reggie Jackson goes, and although he is not the best player on the team, he might be the most important.  Just look at their since 2015-2016 with and without a healthy Reggie Jackson. The team is 63-52 when Reggie Jackson is healthy and 47-66 when he has been injured.  That record is not top-of-the-league good, but it is a solid record and shows the importance of Reggie Jackson to this franchise.

Some of Blake Griffin’s injuries the last few years have been a bit fluky, but he has still had issues staying healthy.  The Pistons have Jon Leuer and Henry Ellenson to backup Blake Griffin if he happens to get hurt, but neither player is a long-term starter on a team with a goal of making the playoffs.

There is less of a sample size of how well the Pistons could overcome an injury to Blake Griffin, but he is a dynamic player who the Pistons plan on building their offense around.  He is likely to be even more important than Reggie Jackson in Dwane Casey’s offense as opposed to Stan Van Gundy’s offense where the point guard runs most of the offense.

All of this goes to show that the Pistons need to stay healthy this season.  They can likely cover for an injury to one of their role players, but the role players are the ones who have stayed healthy for the Pistons the last few seasons.  The two most important players for the Pistons are also the two most injury prone and keeping them healthy, along with players like Andre Drummond, is an essential goal for the Pistons this season.