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Jan 29, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) shoots the ball in the second half against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

3 Teams Pistons Could Leap in Eastern Conference Standings

Originally posted on Detroit Pistons on SI
By Kevin McCormick | Last updated Sep 22, 2025 3:05 PM ET

Last season, the Detroit Pistons pulled off a turnaround of epic proportions. With the franchise back on track, the young core now finds itself facing real expectations for the first time.

The 2024 season was one to forget for Detroit, as they posted the league's worst record and were on the wrong end of a historically long losing streak. However, amid an array of changes across the organization, they were a much different squad in 2025.

Led by a breakout season from former No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham, the Pistons tripled their win total and finished with a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference. This led to their first playoff berth since 2019, but they ended up being eliminated in round one at the hands of the New York Knicks.

Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Between internal development and new upgrades in the margins, the Pistons are eager to keep climbing the ranks in the East. Given the current state of the conference, this should be a rather achievable goal in 2026.

Looking at their competition, here are three teams Detroit should leapfrog in the standings this upcoming season:

Milwaukee Bucks

First up is the team that finished just ahead of the Pistons in the standings, the Milwaukee Bucks. While they still have one of the game's top stars in Giannis Antetokounmpo, the cast of talent around him is questionable at best.

Giannis has no clear running mate, as the Bucks opted to waive-and-stretch All-Star point guard Damian Lillard. Moving forward, Kyle Kuzma and Myles Turner will be tasked with leading the charge alongside the two-time MVP.

Between their depleted star power and lack of viable depth pieces, the Bucks are certainly a team to watch slide down the East.

Indiana Pacers

This one is slightly shocking considering the Indiana Pacers are fresh off an NBA Finals appearance. That said, they are likely going to look much different in 2026.

Earlier this summer, the Pacers announced that Tyrese Haliburton will miss the entirety of next season as he recovers from an Achilles injury. Without their top performer and conductor of their offense, the Pacers have a massive void to fill ahead of what could end up being a gap year for them.

Boston Celtics

Last up is a team that has consistently been at or near the top of the East for years, the Boston Celtics. Similar to the Pacers, they too are bracing for a gap year due to unfortunate injury luck.

Star forward Jayson Tatum is expected to miss the majority of this season due to an Achilles injury he suffered in the playoffs. On top of this, Boston parted with a pair of key players in Kristaps Porzingis and Jure Holiday.

No longer the juggernaut they once were, the Celtics could see one of the biggest drops in the standings in all of the NBA this upcoming season.

This article first appeared on Detroit Pistons on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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