Detroit Pistons legend Ben Wallace explained what the team needs to do in 2027 to become a true NBA Championship contender.
The Pistons won 60 games this past season and were the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference in the playoffs.
However, after struggling to get past the Orlando Magic in seven games in the first round, the team then lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games in the second round, marking a disappointing end to the team’s season.
Still, Wallace believes in the team and that they can come out better on the other side after gaining more experience during this year’s postseason.
Ben Wallace on How Pistons Can Get Back in Title Hunt
Speaking to TMZ, Wallace — who won an NBA Championship with Detroit in 2004 — shared his thought process on what the team needs to do next season in order to contend for the title.
“I think right now the guys just gotta refocus, get back to doing what they was doing and understand that it ain’t so much that they need to retool, that the rest of the league needs to retool to adjust to them, because they was the No. 1 seed. You don’t get that No. 1 seed by accident. Sometimes teams get hot in the playoffs. But to earn that No. 1 seed means you was special all year. So they’ve just got to continue to do what they’ve been doing, and make everyone adjust to them,” Wallace said.
The four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year admitted he was bummed out seeing Detroit lose in the playoffs, but he believes there is a lot of potential with the club to take a giant leap forward next season.
“You’re always disappointed by the way the season was ended. But I was excited, and I was proud by the way the team played all year, and understand that’s your foundation. The regular season is your foundation. Teams get hot during the playoffs, and then sometimes, experience works on you. I think that this past season, the guys got a little more experience, that now they’re season vets, and they’re ready to make that next step,” Wallace said.
“Now they know that even as the No. 1 seed, they can be beat. So now they’ve got to come out and guard against that emotion of being the No. 1 seed and understand that when the playoffs start, everybody’s back at zero.”
Pistons Have Work to Do This Offseason
Although Wallace is right in that the Pistons were the No. 1 seed this past season, the team has a lot of work to do this offseason to maintain its place at the top of the Eastern Conference, as many other teams around them are already making big moves to get better next year.
The first order of business is getting center Jalen Duren locked up to a long-term deal, as he hits restricted agency as of June 30. It will be interesting to see if the team can get him signed to a long-term contract or if he signs an offer sheet elsewhere.
The Pistons also need to improve their bench and, if possible, land more scoring help for superstar Cade Cunningham. We’ll see what the team has up its sleeve, but as Wallace said, the foundation is there to be great.
Pistons Legend Ben Wallace on What Team Needs to Do in 2027