The Detroit Pistons are no longer a rebuilding project.
They are not a “future team.” They are not a feel-good story. They are, at least through the opening month of the season, the best team in the Eastern Conference with a commanding 15–2 start, a sentence that would have felt impossible just two seasons ago.
To understand the leap, you have to look beyond the vibes and into the numbers. Detroit is winning with balance, physicality, defensive activity, and a fully unlocked Cade Cunningham. Their profile isn’t a fluke. It is the statistical identity of a team built to win now.
Detroit ranks 8th in points per game (119.6) and 7th in rebounds (45.9), but their real strength shows up in the effort categories: 4th in steals (10.2) and 3rd in blocks (6.0). They attack the glass, swarm ball-handlers, and pressure teams into uncomfortable possessions. Their offense, while not built on heavy volume, is extremely efficient, ranking 6th in field-goal percentage (49%) and 6th in made field goals (43.8).
The shooting profile is interesting. Detroit is not a modern three-point machine, far from it. They attempt the 28th-fewest threes (31.6) and make the 26th-most (11.3), but still shoot a respectable 35.8%. Their efficiency is anchored by disciplined shot selection, not spray-and-pray volume. The one clear weakness is the free-throw line: Detroit is 29th in FT% (73.9%), an issue that could matter in playoff environments.
What elevates this team from “surprising” to “legitimate” is Cade Cunningham’s surge into full superstar mode. He is averaging 27.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 9.6 assists, all near or at career highs. The shooting splits aren’t elite, 44.4% FG, 28.4% from three, 82.1% FT, but Cade has mastered tempo, spacing, and late-game control. His 10.5 fourth-quarter points per game lead the NBA, and he sits 14th in scoring and 2nd in assists league-wide.
Then there’s the ascending force next to him: Jalen Duren, now being spoken about as “the next Shaq” by fans and analysts who are seeing the physical dominance develop in real time. Duren is producing 20.3 points and 11.5 rebounds, with elite efficiency, rim presence, and nightly intimidation. Add Tobias Harris (13.9 PPG) as a stabilizing veteran scorer, Ausar Thompson (12.6 PPG, 1.7 steals) as a defensive engine, and Duncan Robinson (12.6 PPG, 3 3PM PG!) spacing the floor, and Detroit suddenly looks complete.
This isn’t the same franchise that spent a decade buried in the standings. Detroit went 307–490 between 2015 and 2025, a brutal 38.5% win rate. They suffered seasons of 14–68, 17–65, and 20–52, with the only respectable year coming way back in 2018.
Those days feel distant.
Today’s Pistons project to at least 55 wins, with 60+ firmly on the table. Even their downside scenario is a top-five finish in the East which would represent one of the most dramatic turnarounds in modern NBA history.
Detroit is not just winning games.
They’re rewriting their identity.
All I can Imagine are fans chanting Detroit, Detroit, Detroit, Detroit, Detroit as the FINAL Buzzer sounds and they are going to the Eastern Conference Finals, that’s how confident I am on this Team…
And this time, it feels sustainable.
