For the past two seasons, I have run a Detroit Pistons blog, and for the past two seasons, I have done season previews prior to the regular season tip-off.

This year, I admitted my defeat.

I tried to come up with something, anything, even if my preview was a little short compared to seasons past. I just flat-out couldn’t do it. That’s how outrageously different this year’s team is.

I tried to start out with the easy stuff: focusing on the returners. But not even the “sure things” are sure things anymore.

We used to be able to bank on Rip Hamilton dropping 20 a night, but nobody can predict what effect Ben Gordon will have on those numbers. Tayshaun Prince was usually reliable too, but Joe Dumars drafted three guys who could all realistically affect Prince’s playing time.

How those rookies will evolve this season adds to the season’s mystique even more. From what I’ve seen at Open Practice and the select few preseason games that weren’t blacked out, Austin Daye has the collectiveness of a veteran. Whether that transfers into the regular season remains to be seen and, of course, is impossible to predict.

Some returning Pistons are even giving other returning Pistons a run for their money. Somewhere between April and the present day, Will Bynum decided he was going to break out of his shell. He’s turning into an Iverson-type that Iverson never was, as far as Detroit is concerned. This could affect Rodney Stuckey. If that happens, how will Gordon and Hamilton be affected in the backcourt? It’s nothing short of a blogger’s nightmare.

But don’t forget about Charlie Villanueva and Chris Wilcox. They were both extremely efficient big men on their previous teams, but how will they add up with all the aforementioned factors? There’s no Rasheed Wallace anymore, and that leaves a gaping hole in everything the Pistons used to be.

So what’s it going to be? Will they make a decent title run deep into the playoffs or will they stumble into an utter chemistry meltdown?

To be honest, your guess is as good as mine.

Also found at The Western Herald