Apr 19, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) reacts after scoring against the New York Knicks in Game One of the First Round of the NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

NBA Analyst Confident Pistons Will Continue to Improve

Originally posted on Detroit Pistons on SI
By Kevin McCormick | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 10:11 AM ET

No team in the NBA made a bigger leap forward last season than the Detroit Pistons . Despite a quiet offseason from Trajan Langdon, one analyst is confident the team can continue trending upwards.

After posting the league's worst record in 2024, the Pistons looked like a lost franchise with no direction. They quickly got to work making changes, bringing in an array of fresh faces in hopes of turning things around.

This overhaul yielded massive dividends, as Detroit was a much different team in 2025. The group was far more competitive under new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, tripling their win total from the year prior. On top of their historic turnaround, Cade Cunningham and company also managed to punch their ticket to the postseason for the first time since 2019.

Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Following their success last season, the Pistons' core faces something it has never seen before: expectations. They've proven they can compete at a high level, and now have to prove they can sustain this level of play in 2026 and beyond.

Seeing that they quickly climbed the ranks in the Eastern Conference last year, some thought it was time for Detroit to go out and secure a high-level talent via trade or free agency. Langdon didn't share a similar thought process, remaining focused on internal growth.

Coming off a summer where they made a handful of additions in the margins, the Pistons will look to remain in the hunt in the East. One person who fully expects them to take a step forward is longtime NBA analyst Zach Lowe.

During a recent episode of his podcast, he gave his thoughts on the Pistons moving forward as they attempt to build off all they accomplished in 2025.

"I still think they're better than they were last year," Lowe said. "They're just gonna get better by osmosis. Jalen Duren is like 21-years-old still, and he's a tank who can jump to the ceiling of the arena. If he learns more of the fundamentals of NBA defense, that to me might be the biggest pivot point of this entire team."

“They’re just gonna get better by osmosis.”@ZachLowe_NBA and @RobMahoney talk about the potential they see with the Pistons. pic.twitter.com/SzJIPk3mWV
— The Ringer (@ringer) September 18, 2025

Duren is one of multiple players who could take a step forward in their development this season. Another is Ausar Thompson, who is coming off his first fully healthy offseason in the NBA. Jaden Ivey is also a player to monitor, as he'll be returning from an extended period on the sidelines after suffering a broken leg back in January.

With training camp about a week away, the Pistons will soon have a gauge of the strides the core has made over the summer.

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

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