Central Notes: Pistons, Thompson, Jones, Hezonja, Smith

The Eastern Conference looks a lot stronger than it did a year ago. So where do the Pistons, who had the best record in the conference last season, currently stack up against their peers? Assuming they re-sign restricted free agent Jalen Duren, they should remain competitive within the conference, according to Hunter Patterson of The Athletic, who ranks them fourth behind the Knicks, Sixers and Heat.
Patterson believes the team’s growth hinges on the continued development of defensive stal