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Detroit Pistons
Overall: 31
Title track: 35
Ownership: 44
Coaching: 27
Players: 59
Fan relations: 50
Affordability: 21
Stadium experience: 65
Bang for the buck: 36
Change from last year: +53
IIt took a while (try seven years,) but Detroit finally revved up its engines in the playoffs. If you want to know what a "hungry fan base" looks like, just take a gander at the Pistons' 53-spot pole vault from last year. This team is armed with the NBA's "Next Big Thing" and one of the league's youngest nuclei, and you get the sense that fans know their journey is just getting started.
What's good
Stan Van Gundy has been making the right turns over his entire tenure as Pistons coach and president, so it's no surprise that he earned one of the team's highest rankings, at 27th. It was just two years ago that the Pistons were ranked No. 105 in these rankings and experiencing their third consecutive sub-30-win season. Now, the team boasts a young, playoff-caliber roster with some cap space. While everyone else is playing small ball, Van Gundy can't get enough of the bigs: Drummond, Marjanovic, Leuer, Ellenson, Morris, Baynes. This roster earned a 48-spot jump this year, thanks partly to its play, sure, but also because of things such as participation in "Slow Roll Detroit," which saw the team bike around the city with fans last year.
What's bad
For all that has gone right for the Pistons of late, one thing can't be ignored: location, location, location. The Palace is more than 30 miles from downtown Detroit and 45 miles from the city's busiest airport. In other words, it would require a 40-60 minute drive to get from The Palace to Ford Field or Comerica Park. The Pistons wrapped a three-year, $40 million renovation job in time for the 2014-15 season, and that addressed the scoreboard, sound system and Wi-Fi. It bumped the stadium experience ranking up 21 spots this year, to 65th, but that's still the Pistons' worst placing. Now, if only they could find a large enough flatbed truck to transport the whole arena some place more convenient.
What's new
Last season, the NBA blessed the Pistons with zero national TV appearances. Only the Nuggets and 76ers were also completely blacked out, and the Pistons recorded more wins than those two combined. Oops. At least fans were treated to tickets that were almost $25 below average! With average stubs at $31.42, Motown is looking at the third cheapest seats in the league. That isn't a bad price to see Andre Drummond make us rethink what we know about basketball and physics (see: 25-and-29 vs. the Pacers, four offensive rebounds in 11 (!) seconds against the Bucks, five fouls against in nine seconds vs. the Rockets). Good news, Detroit fans: Drummond isn't going anywhere, after signing a five-year, $130 million deal this offseason. Combining great play, cheap prices and a long-awaited successful season? That'll get you a 53-spot bump in bang for the buck.
Next: Golden State Warriors | Full rankings