The Pistons are discovering relevancy in basketball circles once more and Cade Cunningham is an enormous motive why.
With 10 wins in its previous 12 video games, Detroit has risen to eighth within the Japanese Convention. They’re tied with the Miami Warmth in seventh, and only a half recreation behind each the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers in fifth and sixth, respectively.
Even residence courtroom benefit within the playoffs is simply 1.5 video games away.
To place Detroit’s 21-19 file close to the midway mark in perspective, the group’s highest win complete over the previous 5 years for an entire season was 23-59.
Keep in mind, Jaden Ivey suffered a damaged fibula in his left leg simply over every week in the past.
So, simply how are the Pistons doing it?
Cunningham’s Leap
If somebody had been to make a blueprint earlier than the season on how the Pistons might be a profitable group this season, it could begin and finish with Cunningham making a leap.
Now in his fourth season, Cunningham is averaging 24.5 factors, 6.6 rebounds, 9.4 assists, and just below a steal and a block per recreation. What was as soon as a questionable exterior stroke at below 32 p.c in every of his first two seasons is now a wholesome 38.2 p.c on 6.5 three-point makes an attempt per recreation.
Cunningham has been completely lights out in January to encourage this latest profitable run, placing up 26.5 factors on 50.3 p.c taking pictures from the sphere together with 45.8 p.c from deep in eight video games this month.
He can do it with the shot and the go, whether or not it’s the monster 40-point displaying in opposition to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Jan. 4 or the 17-assist evening in opposition to the Toronto Raptors every week later.
If you happen to needed to see a showcase of management, Cunningham was immense in opposition to the Knicks on Monday evening. New York regarded in an advantageous place up 4 at halftime with Cunningham having racked up 4 fouls. The 23-year-old as a substitute got here out for the second half with 11 straight factors and a complete of 18 within the quarter to shift momentum again.
He completed with 36 factors on the evening whereas not committing a single foul within the second half to stun the Knicks crowd.
Moral hoops, no foul baiting, straight buckets of each selection.
36 PTS | 29 PTS within the second half. pic.twitter.com/tur7N60EEk
— Pistons Jack (@pistons_jack) January 14, 2025
Wildcard Beasley Emerges
One other key for the Pistons coming into this season would have been to have somebody carry out properly above expectations. That man has been Malik Beasley.
Whereas all the time an excellent exterior shooter, Beasley has supplied a stage of consistency not seen because the 2020-21 season. His 16.5 factors per recreation is the best common of his profession since then and the 9.4 threes he’s making an attempt per recreation a brand new career-high. He’s flattening 40.4 p.c of these makes an attempt.
There have been 13 video games to this point this season the place Beasley has knocked down no less than 5 triples.
Ever because the damage to Jaden Ivey, Beasley’s scoring has grow to be all of the extra vital and he has grow to be a reliable aide in Cunningham’s trigger.
MALIK BEASLEY ICES IT FOR DETROIT 🧊
Again-to-back 3s within the ultimate minute…
Pistons have received 10 of their final 12 👀 pic.twitter.com/RSHGwAbO7K
— NBA (@NBA) January 14, 2025
Bickerstaff Impact
A season in the past, the Pistons ranked twenty eighth in offense and twenty fifth in protection, completed with the worst file within the league at 14-68, and fired Monty Williams from the pinnacle teaching position after one season.
J. B. Bickerstaff got here in with pretty low expectations contemplating the Cleveland Cavaliers fired him after what was deemed underwhelming outcomes. His time with the Pistons to this point already speaks for itself.
To this point, the Pistons rank seventeenth in each offense and protection, marked enhancements from a 12 months in the past. Throughout this newest stretch when the group has received 10 of 12, Detroit has the eighth finest offense. A very good chunk of that has to do with taking pictures the lights out with an efficient subject aim share of 57. Which may be one thing to search for if the Pistons come again right down to earth.
Detroit has additionally been the sixth-best offensive rebounding group throughout this scorching 14-game stretch.
One factor the Pistons have carried out properly all season is push the tempo. The group ranks sixth in transition frequency on the season, although they’re backside 10 in effectivity. Throughout this profitable stretch, Detroit has managed to up its transition frequency to tops within the league whereas additionally bumping effectivity as much as thirteenth.
Sneaky Depth
The league right now has made it very tough to win with out depth.
Whereas not possessing horny names, the Pistons are getting contributions from completely different gamers on completely different nights which are making an important distinction. Ron Holland is rising as a younger prospect, Isaiah Stewart is embracing his position off the bench, and Ausar Thompson’s position is steadily increasing.
Most are unmoved by Tobias Harris, however that low season acquisition has supplied understated veteran stability.
Is The Streak For Actual?
Maybe the very last thing to contemplate in all that is how actual this Pistons streak is.
Beating the Suns and Lakers on the highway is actually credible, whereas beating a Kings group nonetheless below the tutelage of Mike Brown might have been proper time, proper place. That applies to beating the Magic with out Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner as properly.
4 of the wins have come in opposition to Charlotte, Portland, Brooklyn and Toronto.
A giant indicator of the Pistons’ enchancment is that they’re now 11-13 in opposition to plus-.500 groups and 10-6 in opposition to sub-.500 groups. Successful in opposition to good groups often sufficient and beating groups you’re now anticipated to beat most of the time reveals they’ve come a great distance.
Final 12 months, Detroit went a hardly fathomable 3-49 in opposition to plus-.500 groups. That claims all of it.
Nobody is trying on the Pistons as contenders and even contemplating the likelihood that they may win a playoff spherical.
It’s nonetheless value recognizing that after years within the abyss, this Pistons franchise appears firmly heading in the right direction.
