These aren’t final season’s Detroit Pistons.
Final season’s Pistons have been the worst workforce within the NBA, ending with a 14-68 file and at one level setting a doubtful single-season file with 28 consecutive losses.
That was final season.
This season’s Pistons — with an ascendant younger roster, some savvy veteran additions and a head coach who’s made all of the distinction — realized find out how to win.
And now they’re the Knicks’ downside.
Right here’s what you want to know concerning the sixth-seeded Pistons earlier than they tip off towards the third-seeded Knicks on Saturday evening for Recreation 1 of their first-round playoff sequence at Madison Sq. Backyard.
TERRIFIC TURNAROUND
The Pistons made every kind of historical past by rising their win complete by a whopping 30 video games.
That 30-game enchancment is the most important ever for a workforce that gained fewer than 20 video games the yr earlier than.
They’re the primary workforce to triple its win complete from one season to the following.
The reward? The Pistons are again within the playoffs for the primary time since 2019 — with an opportunity to win their first postseason recreation since 2008.
Detroit’s present 14-game shedding streak within the playoffs is the longest in NBA historical past.
COACHING CREDIT
The Pistons’ upturn began with the hiring of head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who was fired by the Cleveland Cavaliers after final postseason’s second-round exit towards the eventual champion Boston Celtics.
Below Bickerstaff, the Pistons have embraced a hard-nosed fashion through which they put on down opponents with physicality and energy.
Bickerstaff is without doubt one of the prime contenders for NBA Coach of the Yr.
CADE PARADE
It wasn’t solely a training change that spurred the Pistons’ resurgence.
Cade Cunninghman, the No. 1 general choose within the 2021 draft, took the following step and have become an All-Star for the primary time.
After three strong however injury-plagued seasons to start his profession, the 6-6 level guard set profession highs with 26.1 factors and 9.1 assists per recreation throughout his breakout 2024-25 marketing campaign.
VENERABLE VETERANS
Along with the rise of Cunninghman and different current lottery picks, the Pistons benefited from the infusion of confirmed position gamers.
Offseason signing Malik Beasley averaged 16.3 factors per recreation and shot 41.6% on 3-pointers. Fellow offseason additions Tim Hardaway Jr. and Tobias Harris have been relied-upon starters.
And trade-deadline acquisition Dennis Schroder has supplied a two-way prompt the bench.
BAD BOYS
These Pistons have a nasty streak that’s begun to attract gentle comparisons to the “Bad Boy” groups of the Nineteen Eighties and ’90s.
Isaiah Stewart, their bruising backup heart, tied for second within the NBA with 4 flagrant fouls and is a giant purpose why Detroit excels at limiting factors within the paint. Ausar Thompson, too, is a superb defender. Schroder, along with his hounding stress, continues to pester opposing guards.
Definitely, no one is placing this yr’s group on the extent of Joe Dumars, Invoice Laimbeer and firm but, however physicality is these Pistons’ identification.
Detroit ranked tenth within the NBA with a 112.5 defensive ranking within the common season.
HEAD TO HEAD
The Pistons gained the season sequence towards the Knicks, 3-1, and swept them on the Backyard.
Bickerstaff has credited an early-season win at MSG for serving to to instill confidence in his younger gamers that they might compete with the NBA’s higher groups.
Cunninghman, 23, was notably problematic for the Knicks, averaging 30.8 factors and eight.3 assists of their 4 conferences and delivering a triple-double in one in every of them.
It’s price noting OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson didn’t play within the Knicks’ ultimate loss towards the Pistons final week in Detroit. Robinson didn’t seem in any of the Knicks’ video games towards the Pistons.
PLAYOFF PRESSURE
Working towards the Pistons is an absence of playoff expertise.
Cunningham, Stewart, Thompson, Jalen Duran and Ron Holland II will all be making their postseason debuts.
And a rocking Backyard isn’t precisely the best place for playoff newcomers to settle in.
IMPORTANT INJURY
The Pistons gained’t be taking part in at full energy.
Jaden Ivey, a third-year guard and Detroit’s second-leading scorer, is working his method again from the damaged left fibula he suffered on Jan. 1.
The previous No. 5 general choose was cleared final week to renew basketball actions, however that’s solely step one in his ramp-up. Ivey, who averages 17.6 factors per recreation, might be re-evaluated in one other week.
Initially Printed: April 18, 2025 at 11:02 AM EDT
