Can the Detroit Pistons Make the Playoffs?
Remember last season when the Detroit Pistons set the record for most consecutive losses in a single season? They fired their head coach Monty Williams after the team finished with a 14-68 record. This season, the Pistons are .500 at 18-18 after taking a 118-115 win over the Portland Trail Blazers last night. Detroit is currently tied with the Atlanta Hawks as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. They’re a half-game behind the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat while being a game back from the fifth-seeded Milwaukee Bucks. While there are a few months before the season ends, the big question is can this Pistons squad make the playoffs? Detroit has not seen the light of the playoffs since 2019 when they were eliminated in the first round.
An all-star candidate leads this Pistons team in Cade Cunningham. The 23-year-old point guard is looking to make his first all-star appearance and is having a career-high in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, field goal, and three-point shooting percentage. In 32 games this season, Cunningham is averaging about 24 points, seven rebounds, ten assists, a steal, and a block a game while shooting 45 percent from the field and 38 percent from three. Jaden Ivey has had a great season up to the point where he broke his fibula a few days ago and will miss most of the regular season, if not the rest of the year. Guys like Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Tobias Harris will need to step up in Ivey’s absence. Perhaps, another young prospect hops in the mix and becomes a crucial part of this team’s everyday success.
Detroit goes on to play the Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, and the Toronto Raptors this week. With the Nets and Raptors well outside the playoff conversation, their biggest challenge this week is getting a win against the Warriors. However, if they somehow pull off a win streak, they’ll be three games over .500 and can further solidify their status as a playoff team within the East for the near future. Most NBA fans are rooting for their success after being pulverized by the league the past couple of seasons.
