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Pistons
The Pistons keep winning, and ownership wants to see how far this version can go before pulling any major levers.
Sources told ESPN the franchise plans to evaluate the roster through a tough West Coast swing in late December. Hard to blame them.
Detroit is 13-2 and sitting on top of the East (through Wednesday), which has reinforced an internal push for patience.
For the first time since November 2020, the Pistons control all of their first-round picks through 2032.
They also hold 14 second-rounders and have the flexibility to trade up to four future firsts or execute swaps. In short, this front office has options.
Ownership is not afraid to spend if Trajan Langdon brings the right idea to the table, and the books make it easy. Detroit sits $26.2 million under the first apron, which means they can absorb real money in a deal.
Tobias Harris, Duncan Robinson, Isaiah Stewart and Caris LeVert all carry movable contracts that can grease the wheels.
The big storyline internally is Jaden Ivey. He is working his way back from a broken left fibula, and the organization wants to see whether he takes the kind of leap Jalen Duren made.
If he does, it shapes how the Pistons build around Cade Cunningham in their pursuit of becoming a contender.
Nuggets
Peyton Watson didn’t get an extension this fall, then opened the season quietly.
But on Wednesday, with Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon both out, he caught fire. Watson scored a career-high 32 points on 13-of-19 shooting, as noted by Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.
The Pelicans dared him to shoot. He made them pay, knocking down a career-best five threes on nine attempts.
Even when he’s not scoring, Watson stays in David Adelman’s rotation because of his defense. He leads Denver in blocks and sits third in steals.
Magic
The Magic rebuilt their backcourt by trading for Desmond Bane and signing Tyus Jones, but they still depend heavily on Jalen Suggs.
As Kevin Pelton of ESPN noted, Orlando outscored opponents by 17.2 points per 100 possessions with Suggs on the floor. That drops to minus-6.2 when he sits.
Jones has struggled early, shooting 19 percent from three and producing a career-low assist rate. It has forced Anthony Black into more minutes, but Black doesn’t bring the playmaking the team hoped to find.
The Magic went all-in last summer, including Paolo Banchero’s extension, leaving them with just one tradable first-round pick through 2032 and eight second-rounders to work with.
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