The Detroit Pistons have been one of the worst teams in the NBA in recent years, but things are starting to look up for the proud organization. The rebuild was difficult as the Pistons had some of the worst NBA Draft lottery luck that the sport has ever seen, but they are now led by Cade Cunningham, the star that they selected when the lottery worked out for them. Cunningham is quickly becoming one of the best players in the NBA, and he is a major reason why the Pistons are in position to make the playoffs.
Someone else who has played a big role in the success of the Pistons this year is head coach JB Bickerstaff. Despite having a lot of success with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Bickerstaff was let go after last season, and the Pistons snatched him up. It’s looking like an outstanding hire so far as Bickerstaff has the Pistons playing some really good basketball right now.
The Pistons won just 14 games last year as they finished the season with a 14-68 record. That was the worst record in the NBA, and the team wasn’t expected to be very good this year either. However, the Pistons are currently 31-26 and in sixth place in the Eastern Conference. If the season ended today, the Pistons would make the playoffs.
It’s hard to believe based on where this team has been in recent years, but barring a major collapse, the Pistons are going to be a postseason team. They obviously still have a lot of work to do as there is another month and a half left in the regular season, but Detroit is in great shape right now.
Remember, only the top-six teams in each conference make it to the playoffs. The other two spots are decided by the NBA play-in tournament. So, if the Pistons slip down a spot in the standings, they will no longer be in playoff position, but rather in play-in tournament position.
The main goal for the Pistons at this point is obviously to finish in the top-six and make the playoffs, but if you told Detroit fans that their team would make the play-in tournament at the beginning of the season, they would’ve been ecstatic. Now, that would be a disappointment based on where the team is this late in the season.
It’s looking like the Pistons will probably end up in the 4-6 seed range when all is said and done, but anything can happen. The Pistons have separated themselves from the Orlando Magic a bit as they are three games ahead of seventh place. Detroit is six games back of the third place New York Knicks, so it’s unlikely that they catch them, but the four and five seeds are well within reach. The Pistons are currently two games back of fourth place and 1.5 games back of fifth place.
The Pistons have made a ton of progress this season, and it’s an exciting time to be a fan of the team. However, could the team have been set up for more success if the front office had gone about the NBA trade deadline differently?
The Pistons should’ve added more firepower around Cade Cunningham
Cade Cunningham is one of the best players in the NBA this season, but he can’t do it all for the Pistons. There is some good talent around him, but Detroit doesn’t have a duo or trio like a lot of other playoff teams have. Cunningham can take this team on a ride, but the Pistons are likely still a couple of pieces away from becoming a true contender.
The Pistons did end up acquiring Dennis Schroder ahead of the trade deadline, and that was a big pickup that should really pay off should the team make the postseason. Schroder has a lot of experience and he is already gelling with the team. That was a big win for Detroit at the end of the deadline.
Detroit didn’t do anything crazy ahead of the trade deadline, but it’s not like they have a one-year window to find success in the playoffs. The rebuild took a while, but we are finally seeing the Pistons start to flourish. They have a lot of young talent, and there will be time in the future to add some of those pieces that will take the team to the next level.
At the end of the day, it’s hard to critique this Pistons team too much. There isn’t a squad in the NBA that has been through the wringer recently like Detroit, and the turnaround that they have orchestrated this season has been incredibly impressive. The Pistons are not only good enough to make the playoffs, but they are capable of winning a series or two. It’s going to be exciting to see how this team closes out the regular season, and how they fare in the postseason if they end up making it.
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