The Detroit Pistons have been one of the worst teams in the entire NBA throughout the last couple of years. However, this year, there is something different about this team. They are currently 33-26 (ESPN), and they have won their last 8 games in a row. This is in large part due to their very young core coming together and playing very well off of each other. Players like Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, and Malik Beasley are all stepping into their roles very well, and they have been playing extremely well this season, which is a complete turnaround from last year. Last year, the Pistons broke the record for the most losses in a row with 28 losses. This was extremely embarrassing for not only the players but also the entire franchise. They became the laughing stock of the entire NBA and even had other players tweeting about them, saying, “At this point it’s like, don’t be that team” (Kyle Kuzma, Sports Illustrated). The Pistons were the worst team in the NBA by far, and they had to make a big step to change the crash course that they were on.
They made a big change, as now they have just beaten one of the best teams in the league, the Celtics, by 20 points. Malik Beasley was the highlight of this win as he ended with 26 points and 6 3-pointers made. He is one person that the Pistons traded for in the offseason and has been a major part of their success this year. He has fit perfectly into the role that they needed him to be in, a three and D player that can shoot the ball well, and lock players up on the other side of the ball. That was a major part of the team that the Pistons were lacking in the 23-24 season, as the player that they had in this role, Killian Hayes, was by far one of the worst players in the league and couldn’t shoot or play defense.
Cade Cunningham is by far the best player on this Pistons team. He is a prolific scorer, as he can score at almost any level, three-pointers, mid-range, and finishing at the bucket. He is also an incredible defender, rebounder, and a very underrated passer. He was the first overall pick in the 2021 draft, and he was well worth that price. He has been everything and more than they wanted him to be, and he is the main reason why they have gotten this far in the first place. Jalen Duren is also an incredibly important player to this team, as he is only 21 years old and putting up all-star numbers as a third-year player. He can rip down over 20 rebounds in a game, as he has before, and he is a very underrated scoring threat down low, and an even better defender on and off the ball.
The Pistons have completely turned their franchise around from being the laughing stock of the entire league, to turning into a very dangerous playoff threat come April.