Apr 21, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson (9) warms up before game two of first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Pistons' Core Earns High Praise After Historic Turnaround

Originally posted on Detroit Pistons on SI
By Kevin McCormick | Last updated Sep 26, 2025 6:05 AM ET

Through the 2020s, the Detroit Pistons have been hard at work trying to collect as much young talent as possible. Though many were calling for calling for the organization to start their rebuild from scratch not too long ago, the discourse around the franchise has drastically changed in the last 12 months.

The 2024 season was one to forget for the Pistons. Not only did they post the league's worst record, but they were on the wrong side of history with a 28-game losing streak. This led to multiple changes across multiple levels, but the core was given a longer runway to figure things out.

Keeping the group intact proved to be the right decision, as it yielded much different results in 2025. After being equipped with a new head coach and an array of veteran mentors, the team took a massive leap forward.

The Pistons managed to positively make history last season, becoming the first team to triple their win total in one year's time. Detroit also had a drastic rise up the standings, finishing as the sixth seed and reaching the playoffs for the first time in six years.

Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

Led by an All-NBA caliber talent in Cade Cunningham, the Pistons are now viewed as a budding contender on the rise in the East. While the former No. 1 pick garnered most of the praise last year, Detroit's youth received their flowers ahead of the 2026 campaign.

In a recent column for Bleacher Report, Grant Hughes ranked the top five young cores in the NBA right now. The Pistons came in at No. 4 on the list, just behind the San Antonio Spurs.

Cunningham finished seventh in MVP voting last season and was the primary offensive force on a Detroit Pistons team that tripled its win total. He and the Pistons also gave the New York Knicks a real fight in the first round of the playoffs.

That Cunningham managed all that while surrounded by a young supporting cast that still had major shortcomings speaks to his status as one of the top under-25 players in the NBA.

Looking ahead to the upcoming season, the Pistons' core still has a lot of buzz around it. Many are anxious to see what Jaden Ivey looks like returning from the leg injury he suffered in January. Ausar Thompson has also been penciled in as one of the team's top X-factors, as he is coming off his first healthy offseason since entering the pros.

If the Pistons' core is able to keep trending upward developmentally, Detroit has a long runway to be a perennial threat in the Eastern Conference.

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

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