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2008-09 Record: 39-43, third in Central; lost in first round of playoffs to Cleveland.

Key Additions: F Austin Daye, G/F DaJuan Summers, F Jonas Jerebko, F Charlie Villanueva, G Ben Gordon, F Chris Wilcox, F/C Ben Wallace

Key Losses: G Allen Iverson, F/C Rasheed Wallace, F Antonio McDyess, F Amir Johnson, G Arron Afflalo, F Walter Sharpe, F/C Fabricio Oberto

WagerWeb.com odds to win Eastern Conference: +2500

Not many teams had salary cap room this offseason, but the Detroit Pistons were one of them. The question is: Did this team really get much better by adding former Bulls guard Ben Gordon and former Bucks forward Charlie Villaneuva? Both can score, but neither is known for much else. Gordon, in fact, might still be a sixth man – Richard Hamilton likely will continue to start at shooting guard. Nobody on the Detroit roster last year averaged 20 points per game, a feat Gordon has accomplished two of the last three seasons. Only the Bobcats and Grizzlies scored fewer points per game last season than Detroit, but Gordon and Villanueva add about 37 points per game between them.

This year’s Pistons team definitely won’t resemble the Bad Boys in any way, shape or form, nor even the Chauncey Billups/Rasheed Wallace/Ben Wallace teams of recent years (although Ben Wallace is back in a reserve role). This might be the most offensive team that Detroit fans have seen in a long time and worst on defense. Opponents averaged 94.7 ppg against Detroit last year, which ranked 8th in the NBA. During their run of making six straight trips to the Eastern Conference finals from 2003-08, the Pistons had the NBA’s second-best scoring defense (88.9 ppg). Look for that average to approach triple figures this season.

This will definitely be a backcourt-dominant team. The Pistons will get most of their scoring from the trio of Stuckey, Hamilton and Gordon in the backcourt. Rasheed Wallace and McDyess were their two best frontcourt defenders a year ago but have been replaced by the non-defending duo of Villanueva and Wilcox. Detroit’s frontcourt is so average that 6-foot-7 Jason Maxiell may start at center.

The Pistons will likely up the tempo under new coach John Kuester, but that may not translate to that many more wins.

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