BY Joel Villanasseril
VN SPECIAL WRITER
The Detroit Pistons are back downtown in the Motor City after almost 40 years.
They are sharing the newly built Little Caesars Arena with the Red Wings.
This inaugural year at Little Caesars Arena will be the beginning of many memories and the start of a sports revival in the city of Detroit.
The move to downtown for the Pistons in my opinion will help return the city to its former glory.
The Pistons successfully made the playoffs in the 2015-2016 season after a seven-year drought.
They have been on an upward trend since the 2015-2016 season despite not making the playoffs last year due to injuries.
The Pistons have a promising young core in starters Reggie Jackson, Avery Bradley, Tobias Harris and Andre Drummond, and they are definitely a team to watch out for in the Eastern Conference this season.
With the tenacity and winning mentality of head coach of Stan Van Gundy, the Pistons have what it takes to be a playoff contender.
If the Pistons’ core starters can remain healthy this year, they can be one of the highest scoring teams in the league.
I believe this inaugural year at Little Caesars Arena will showcase the resurgence of the city of Detroit as the fans are beginning to have faith in their beloved basketball team.
Detroit has the potential to be an even greater major sports city in the world with the new state-of-the-art arena and a booming Midtown economy.
The return of the Pistons will reflect the new identity of the organization and the impact it will have on the city in the future.
Pistons officials believe that the return downtown will be an opportunity to bring back the sports vigor of fans in Detroit.
In addition, the Pistons move to Detroit will show the blue-collar resilience of the city that made it one of the most influential cities in the country.
The Pistons’ ceiling for success is unlimited after years of rebuilding under the management of general manager Jeff Bower and coach Van Gundy.
Although the team may not have any superstars of the status of LeBron James or Stephen Curry, they appear to have unity and team chemistry.
Van Gundy led the Orlando Magic to the NBA finals in 2009. He molded Dwight Howard into a superstar during his tenure in Orlando and has already shown capabilities with all-star center Andre Drummond.
With the talent that the Pistons currently possess, they have what it takes to give trouble to teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics in the playoffs.
This year’s team will be one worth following.
