3 Reasons Why The Detroit Pistons Could Conquer The East

All-NBA guard Cade Cunningham is continuing to blossom into one of the biggest stars in the league. In his first 11 games, Cunningham is averaging 27.5 points, 9.9 assists, and 5.4 rebounds. With his ability to score from anywhere, court vision, and leadership, the Pistons have definitely found a point guard who can lead this squad for the next decade plus.

There arguably is no better PG in the East currently. Having an MVP-level floor general who can drop 30 a game could catapult Detroit to championship contention.

2) Jalen Duren Is Turning Into An All-Star

Cunningham cannot do it alone, and with the emergence of center Jalen Duren, the Pistons now have a formidable one-two punch. Duren is averaging 19.4 points to begin the year, which is a giant leap from his 11.8 mark from 2024. One of the main reasons for this is the free throws. Duren is getting to the line more than twice as much as he did last season, and the percentage is up from 67 to 81.

Additionally, Duren is starting to expand his game a bit. Most of his work is still with pick-and-roll lobs and put-backs, but he can also put the ball on the floor and get to the basket. The continued growth of Duren’s offensive game will be crucial if the Pistons want to make a serious run.

3) Surprising Levels Of Depth

The Pistons have been without four of their five starters in the last two contests. That also includes being without one of the top reserves, Isaiah Stewart, this past Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls. Despite this, Duncan Robinson and the Pistons defeated that Bulls squad and were again victorious the following Friday versus the Philadelphia 76ers.

Detroit had contributions from various unusual suspects in those matchups, including Paul Reed, Javonte Green, and Daniss Jenkins. Reed had a monster 28-point, 13-rebound game in that Chicago contest, proving he can step up when need be. Jenkins, meanwhile, has been a more than serviceable fill-in for Cunningham, averaging 18.5 points and 10 assists over the last two.

The Bulls and 76ers had their share of injuries in those matchups as well, but not at the same level as the Pistons. Chicago had three of their starting five, and Philly still had Tyrese Maxey, who is arguably their best player now. With those factors in mind, the work that Detroit’s reserves have done is not to be diminished.

The bench obviously will not continue playing at this level once the starters are healthy. If they can provide even half of this production when the rest of the Pistons return, however, this Detroit team can really become dangerous.

End Of My Detroit Pistons Rant

The NBA season is still very young, but the early returns suggest the Pistons will be a problem in 2025. After going from the worst team in the league in 2023 to finishing sixth last year, Detroit now looks elite!

The New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers will likely be the biggest competition. Last year, the Pistons hung with the Knicks for six games in an exciting first-round series. With that experience plus this year’s growth, you would have to imagine this Detroit team would have a better shot if they were to clash with New York again.

Cleveland may present a bigger problem, with a prominent frontcourt and a dynamic duo at the guard positions. Two-time All-Star Darius Garland is close to returning for the Cavaliers, so hopefully the same is true for Pistons young two guard Jaden Ivey. After having surgery last month, Ivey has started doing some on-court work. Head coach J.B. said he is progressing well, so fingers crossed there will not be any setbacks.

The fanbase has endured hard times, but after essentially being at the bottom of the barrel for over a decade, the Pistons truly look back! Once fully healthy, I do not believe there is a team in the East that is undoubtedly better than Detroit. It will be exciting to see how this team progresses, and hopefully, they can get into the playoffs with their full squad this time. Once there, anything can happen.