Every year in the NBA playoffs, one underdog defies expectations. This spring, the Detroit Pistons believe it’s their turn. Their seven-game series against the New York Knicks tips off Saturday night, and after winning the regular season matchup 3–1, the Pistons confidently enter the postseason.
In recent years, teams like the Jimmy Butler-led Heat (2023, 2020) and the Trae Young-powered Hawks (2021) have turned heads with unexpected runs. With a defensive identity and a rising star in Cade Cunningham, the Pistons have the tools to follow suit—and maybe even shake up the entire Eastern Conference. But to do that, they’ll need to make an early statement. Can the Pistons’ regular-season dominance over the Knicks fuel a postseason upset?
Pistons Embrace Underdog Mentality Ahead of Knicks Series
Lean On The Veterans
Ten players on the Pistons’ roster are set to experience playoff basketball for the first time. With Jaden Ivey’s status still uncertain, the remaining nine rookies-to-the-postseason could see meaningful minutes—six of them are expected to play key roles. The pressure can mount quickly for a young team stepping under the brightest lights of the season. That’s where the Pistons’ veterans come in.
Tobias Harris, Dennis Schröder, Malik Beasley, Paul Reed, and Tim Hardaway Jr. bring a combined 240 games of playoff experience. They’ve been in hostile arenas, weathered momentum swings, and delivered under pressure. When the game starts to tilt or the energy gets frantic, it’ll be on those veterans to settle the group, slow the tempo, and lead by example.
Whether it’s Harris offering poise in half-court sets, Schröder controlling pace, or Beasley spacing the floor with timely threes, Detroit’s seasoned voices could be the difference between growing pains and growing up fast.
Pistons Grit or Knicks Glory?
Under the playoff spotlight, it’s easy for players, especially young ones, to try to do too much. But for the Pistons to defeat the Knicks and make a deep run, every player must lock in and stay within their role. There’s no room for hero ball or straying from what got them here.
One of the defining traits of this Pistons team has been its collective buy-in. Players have embraced their roles all season long, whether setting hard screens, crashing the glass, or making the extra pass. No one has tried to be more than what the team needs.
Play Under Control
This one’s directed squarely at Isaiah Stewart: stay locked in. Don’t let the playoff energy pull you out of character. Stewart has become the emotional heartbeat of this Pistons squad—an enforcer, a tone-setter, and a leader by example. But with that reputation comes a target. Officials are watching. Opponents will poke and prod. In the regular season, there were moments where Stewart’s intensity crossed the line, putting the Pistons in tough positions. In the playoffs, those mistakes could be costly.
The Pistons need his fire—they need his ability to battle in the paint, absorb tough minutes when Jalen Duren is off the floor, and bring that edge that fuels this team’s identity. But there’s a fine line between controlled aggression and emotional overdrive. Dust-ups will happen—it’s playoff basketball—but Stewart has to pick his spots wisely. His presence is too significant to risk losing over a reaction.
The Last Word
The road ahead won’t be easy, but nothing about the Detroit Pistons’ journey has been. This team wasn’t built on hype but on grit, growth, and belief. As the playoffs begin, the Pistons stand at the edge of an opportunity to rewrite the narrative.
They’ve got the talent. They’ve got the toughness. And they’ve got a group of veterans who know what it takes when the lights are brightest. If each player stays grounded in their role, trusts the system, and plays with poise—especially in the heat of the moment—there’s no reason this team can’t be the one that shocks the league.
The Pistons don’t need to be perfect. They need to be themselves. And if they do that, they might keep that yearly playoff tradition alive by becoming the team nobody saw coming. To do that, it starts with a series victory against the New York Knicks—a challenge that will demand focus, resilience, and belief from start to finish.
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