DETROIT — Troy Weaver called this “ground zero” back in September, and he meant it in the best way possible. The Pistons’ general manager was talking about his “restoration” project in Detroit reaching a new stage, with the foundation laid and the substructure settling into place.
He’d built up a young core of talent here with a half-dozen first-round selections, including four lottery picks, over three successive drafts. And while all that youth — 10 players on the roster age 24 or younger — likely meant playoff contention was still another year off, the days of talking about tanking were supposed to be in the rearview mirror.
“I feel like we're at level ground right now, so I'm calling it ground zero,” Weaver explained when the Pistons opened training camp this fall. “And at ground zero, we’re not jockeying for position or trying to manipulate anything. I feel comfortable with the roster and where we are, and now we’re ready to take a step forward.”
