The Detroit Pistons are in postseason position. Not just for a spot in the play-in tournament, either. The Pistons are poised to finish as one of the top-six teams in the Eastern Conference, bypassing the play-in. Before this season, Detroit's current standing was unfathomable.
Just last year, they finished 14-68, the worst record in the NBA and the worst finish in franchise history. They parted ways with head coach Monty Williams after only one season, with owner Tom Gores eating the rest of Williams's lucrative six-year, $78.5 million contract.
Now, with less than 20 games left in their regular-season schedule, the Pistons are on pace to triple their win total from last year. They have won 12 of their last 16 games and will head into the postseason with nothing to lose, as an overachiever amongst a sea of teams who need to win now or think about a change in direction.
Plenty of factors have played a part in the Pistons' quick turnaround. Here are four reasons the Pistons have made a drastic turnaround in just one season:
1. Cade Cunningham's All-Star breakout
Any conversation about the Pistons' leap has to start with the brilliance of Cade Cunningham. He has evolved into a top guard in the Eastern Conference while only in his fourth season. He is Detroit's leader and the top target on opposing game plans.
Cunningham is posting career-high averages in both scoring and assists. Only Trae Young (11.5) and Nikola Jokic (10.4) average more assists per game than Cunningham (9.4) this year. He's averaging 25.5 points per game, too. His eight triple-doubles this season are tied with Sacramento's Domantas Sabonis, and only Jokic (28) and LeBron James (10) have more this year. The improvement led to wins and made Cunningham an obvious All-Star choice in 2025, his first appearance.
Cunningham's leap coincided with jumps from the Pistons' other young pieces. Ausar Thompson wreaks havoc on defense and is figuring out his offensive game. Isaiah Stewart is one of the league's best rim protectors in his fifth season. Jalen Duren has impacted games defensively lately, his biggest need for improvement, while serving as Cunningham's favorite lob threat. Jaden Ivey was having a career year as a scorer and three-point shooter before he suffered a broken fibula in early January. Even Ron Holland has contributed more than anticipated as a rookie.
Cunningham is the cog that makes the Pistons' fire. And his supporting cast has played the part, too.
2. A clean house and a new perspective
Although Detroit's young standouts were already in place, the Pistons started from scratch organizationally this year with a new coach and front office. They hired Trajan Langdon as president of basketball operations, while former general manager Troy Weaver left the building. Weaver deserves credit for drafting Cunningham, Stewart, Thompson, Ivey and Duren, but Langdon quickly brought in veterans who addressed needs and complemented the young core. It's still early, but Langdon appeared to have taken a good swing in his first draft by picking Holland, too.
The Pistons hired J.B. Bickerstaff as their new coach after one diastrous season with Monty Williams at the helm. Bickerstaff was let go by the Cavaliers after five seasons in Cleveland. He was prepared for the Pistons' job, helping the Cavs manage their own turnaround. In his first season in Detroit, Bickerstaff is a bonafide Coach of the Year candidate. Ironically, his successor in Cleveland, Kenny Atkinson, is the main competition for the honor.
Coach of the Year or not, Bickerstaff quickly brought the Pistons onto the right path. Last year, they won just 14 games. Bickerstaff's squad hit that number before the calendar turned to 2025. They may even triple their win total from just a season ago. Yes, last season was abysmal. But that quick of a turnaround rarely happens in the NBA. Bickerstaff deserves his flowers.
3. Using cap space to form a complementary roster
Detroit entered this past offseason with the most salary cap space in the NBA and used it efficiently, which hasn't always been the case. Most of the Pistons' cap room was used to sign Tobias Harris to a two-year, $52 million deal to return to Detroit after a previous stint from 2016 to '18.
The Pistons also locked down Cunningham, their franchise player, to a five-year maximum rookie extension which kicks in at the start of next season. Langdon and his front office made many moves around the edges to pair Cunningham and the rest of their young players with veterans who complement their skillsets.
In previous seasons, the Pistons needed more floor spacers on the roster to give Cunningham additional room to operate. Three-point shooting was a consistent issue in Detroit as the Pistons shot 34.8% from deep as a team last season, a bottom-five number across the NBA.
To help address spacing concerns, Langdon brought in Harris and took on Tim Hardaway Jr.'s expiring contract from the Dallas Mavericks. But most notably, he made steal of the offseason when he signed sharpshooter Malik Beasley to a one-year, $6 million deal.
Beasley has had a career year opening the floor up for the young Pistons. He's right next to Anthony Edwards for the most three-pointers made across the NBA this season. Beasley is connecting on 42.1% of his 9.5 three-point attempts per game, which are both highs over his nine-year career. Already known as one of the NBA's best marksmen, he has come to Detroit and shot more efficiently and on a higher volume than ever before. That's not all there is to his game either, as Beasley has found success scoring at all three levels while making an impact defensively, too.
4. Complete buy-in, steady improvement and good vibes
Vibes aren't necessarily something we can quantify. But just watch any Pistons game and you can see the good vibes roll. The team likes to play together, spend time together and celebrate in their new-found success.
Before this year, the Pistons didn't have their own gimmick. How could they? Now, there's plenty. From the pregame dances to Beasley's patented three-point "shimmy" and most notably, a Pistons branded WWE-style belt that's passed around after every win. Whoever received the belt after the previous win gives it to someone new after the next victory.
Usually the belt goes between players. But after Bickerstaff was named the Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for February, Jalen Duren awarded the belt to his coach.
It’s only right that our Coach of the Month got the belt last night pic.twitter.com/2nBstfuTte
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) March 4, 2025
Bickerstaff was humble and spoke to the collective—common language for a coach. But the chant he ended the moment with showed that his iteration of the Pistons is for real. And they want to succeed together.
"Together all the time," Bickerstaff said, as his team quipped back "all the time together."
"All the time together," Bickerstaff repeated as the players followed with "together all the time."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Four Reasons Behind the Pistons' Emergence Into the NBA's Best Surprise This Season.
