Five key factors to maintain confidence in the Detroit Pistons during this postseason
BEFORE THEIR FINAL home match of the regular season, Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren took to the microphone to speak to the audience at Little Caesars Arena. The Pistons were concluding one of the most successful regular seasons in franchise history: 60 victories and the top seed in the Eastern Conference, while achieving the most remarkable two-year turnaround in NBA history.
From just 14 wins two seasons ago to 60 wins in 2025-2026, the Pistons’ 46-win improvement marks the largest leap in two seasons in NBA history, as reported by ESPN Research.
Positioned at center court, Duren rallied the crowd. “Deeeee-troit basket-ball,” echoing the iconic PA announcer, John Mason. Duren expressed gratitude to the fans for their unwavering support throughout the season and also issued a reminder.
“We’re not finished yet,” he stated. “We have a long journey ahead.”
The Pistons secured the No. 1 seed on November 7 and have remained at the pinnacle of the Eastern Conference standings ever since. Nevertheless, they entered the playoffs as an underdog in the conference they dominated. According to DraftKings, the Pistons commenced the playoffs with the fourth-best odds to win the Eastern Conference (+500), trailing the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and New York Knicks. “We believe we can win it all,” Pistons forward Ausar Thompson told ESPN. “We don’t concern ourselves with outside opinions.”
“I feel like we can defeat anyone.”
Detroit’s playoff journey began on a challenging note in Game 1, as they lost 112-101 on Sunday to the No. 8-seeded Orlando Magic in a contest where the Pistons never held the lead.
This marked not only the Pistons’ 11th consecutive home playoff defeat, extending the longest streak in NBA history, but it also fueled a narrative: that this long-irrelevant franchise, which has reached the postseason only three times since 2010, is unworthy of the seed next to their name.
The Pistons’ last home playoff victory occurred in Game 4 of the 2008 conference finals when Duren and Thompson were just 4 and 5 years old, respectively.
However, the Pistons still have the opportunity to fulfill Duren’s promise to the home crowd, beginning with Game 2 against the Magic on Wednesday night (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).
And there are five reasons to have confidence in their chances.
1. They learned valuable lessons from last year’s painful playoff exit
All-Star point guard Cade Cunningham made a commitment shortly after the Pistons’ season concluded last year. Detroit had been involved in a closely fought series with the Knicks before being eliminated in six games.
Trailing by three with a chance to equalize in the final moments of Game 6 in Detroit, Cunningham passed to a wide-open Malik Beasley, the team’s top 3-point shooter, but the ball slipped through his fingers and out of bounds. The turnover sealed the series and ended Detroit’s first playoff appearance since the 2018-19 season.
“That feeling will linger with us throughout this summer in our workouts and discussions,” Cunningham remarked that evening. “We’ll return stronger.”
So far, Cunningham has delivered on that promise.
Duren is arguably the most prominent embodiment of that commitment. He took a two-week break last offseason before working with Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff during the summer for individual training. This effort resulted in the best season of his career.
“Honestly, it shifted my perspective,” Duren told ESPN. “Initially, it was about getting there, trying to reach the club. Now it’s about recognizing that we have a strong enough team to return. The question is, can we make an impact there?”
Bickerstaff, a finalist for Coach of the Year, has encountered the saying numerous times: Young teams must endure heartbreak in the early playoff rounds before they can achieve deeper playoff runs.
Years of NBA history have reinforced this notion — Michael Jordan falling to the Bad Boy Pistons; LeBron James’ various playoff struggles before he became a champion; the Oklahoma City Thunder losing in the 2024-25 Western Conference semifinals despite holding the best record in the league.
Yet these Pistons believe they can defy that trend.
“We experienced what it felt like last year against the Knicks — a series that was fiercely contested and one that made us feel like there was more to achieve,” Bickerstaff stated earlier this month. “That motivated our players this summer and contributed to our success this year.”
The veteran coach has guided multiple teams to the playoffs throughout his career, including the Cavaliers. Those Cavaliers squads faced similar growing pains during Bickerstaff’s early seasons with the franchise. “I do believe experience is significant,” Bickerstaff noted.
“Experience varies for individuals. In the playoffs, particularly when you are a young team facing new challenges, it depends on how quickly you can learn and adapt to those experiences. If you learn something in Game 1, can you correct it in Game 2? If it takes you three games, you are likely to lose that series.”
2. The Duren of Sunday’s Game 1 … was not the Duren of games 1-82
Even after a disappointing Game 1 defeat, Cunningham’s demeanor postgame remained composed.
“We’re frustrated about losing this one,” he said. “But it’s a lengthy series. Our confidence remains intact.”
Cunningham performed well in Game 1, finishing with a playoff career-high 39 points, along with five rebounds and four assists in 40 minutes. However, the absence of a supporting star was evident.
Throughout the regular season, Duren had been that supporting star, rising to All-NBA status, alongside another All-Star season from Cunningham.
Duren raised his scoring average to 19.5 points this season, a 7.7-point increase that ranks as the seventh largest among players from the previous year.
“[Duren is] discovering how strong he is on the court,” Pistons forward Tobias Harris told ESPN. “He’s learning how to elevate his teammates. I always told him early in the year that his demeanor, voice, and energy are vital for our entire group, especially on defense. He’s done an excellent job of taking charge and realizing his potential.”
The Pistons will require that Duren in Game 2 — something he acknowledged on Tuesday — after the Magic effectively implemented their Game 1 defensive strategy to contain him. He managed only eight points and seven rebounds.
“The concerning aspect is that he can improve significantly,” Harris said. “And he is aware of that.”
3. Their bench is seasoned — and deep
All five of the Pistons’ starters were sidelined as the team prepared for a game on November 12 against the Chicago Bulls. If there was to be a scheduled loss, this would have been it.
It was then, Harris recounted to ESPN, that he sensed a change in the team’s confidence.
“I remember pregame in the locker room, thinking, we expect to win this game,” he said. “That’s just our mindset — and we’ve been riding that wave.”
With a starting lineup of Daniss Jenkins, Javonte Green, Paul Reed, Ronald Holland II, and Duncan Robinson, the Pistons secured an 11-point victory, improving to 10-2 on the season that night despite missing Cunningham, Duren, Harris, and Thompson.
This set the tone for the remainder of the season, according to Harris. When Cunningham missed 11 games due to a collapsed lung at the end of the regular season, the team continued to perform well.
“We all understand it’s not about one individual,” Duren stated. “It requires the entire team for us to succeed. We recognized that early on. We have numerous players who can score, defend, and who all embrace our culture and what we are building.”
Detroit achieved a 13-5 record (.722) without Cunningham this season, the highest winning percentage in the league among teams missing their leading scorer, according to ESPN Research.
Bickerstaff possesses one of the deepest benches in the league. Detroit has 10 players averaging at least seven points and who have participated in 70% of the team’s games. This combination is nearly unprecedented in NBA history: The Pistons are only the second team to accomplish this, joining the 1962-63 Syracuse Nationals.
“If you can get players to commit to an identity, to a style, and if you can play systematic basketball on both ends of the court,” Bickerstaff explained, “you can achieve success even when players are absent or when substitutions are made because everyone understands their role and responsibilities.”
4. They’ve excelled in clutch situations — and they’ve done so frequently
The Pistons recorded a 27-15 (64.3%) record this season in clutch games, tying for the most clutch victories in the NBA and achieving the fourth-best winning percentage.
After a clutch victory over the Lakers toward the end of the season, Jenkins elaborated on the reason behind their success.
“We don’t play with fear because we know we can defend,” he said. “In tight moments, we never panic.”
The statistics support his claim. The Pistons fielded the NBA’s second-best defense.
Moreover, Detroit was particularly effective against the league’s top teams. They posted a league-best 30-12 record in games against playoff teams, including 8-3 in matchups against the top four in the East.
5. Exceptional defense, both inside and outside
From the moment Bickerstaff assumed the role of head coach at the beginning of the 2024-25 season, he emphasized the traits of some of the best rosters in team history: physicality, resilience, and a punishing defense that deters opponents from attacking the paint.
The Pistons already feature one DPOY finalist in Thompson, who excels on the perimeter.
The combination of Isaiah Stewart and Duren in the paint has formed one of the league’s most formidable duos at the rim as well. As a team, the Pistons limited opponents to just 54.6% shooting during the regular season, ranking third in the league behind Oklahoma City and Boston — the last two NBA champions.
“We take immense pride in it,” Duren told ESPN. “My role as the anchor of the defense is to maintain our standards. I take pride in it because we are a defense-first team.”
Duren’s skills are evident in his pick-and-roll defense. According to GeniusIQ, the Pistons allow 0.92 points per opponent pick when Duren is involved, the 14th-best figure in the league.
Following last year’s playoff series against the Knicks and facing one of the league’s top pick-and-roll players in Jalen Brunson, Duren dedicated time to film study over the summer, seeking more effective methods to defend this tactic.
“Just identifying areas where I could improve,” Duren explained to ESPN. “Reviewing a lot of film, recognizing my weaknesses and strengths, and focusing on them.”
Stewart, for his part, limited opponents to just 41.4% shooting when he was the closest defender, according to GeniusIQ, ranking third among players who defended at least 500 field goals this season (behind Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren and Boston’s Derrick White).
In the paint specifically, Stewart restricted opponents to 43.8% shooting, the lowest field goal percentage among qualified players in the league.
