Detroit Pistons Surge to Winning Record After Historic Lows

DETROIT, Mich. — The Detroit Pistons, once the laughingstock of the NBA after a record 28-game losing streak last season, have emerged as one of the league’s most surprising teams this year. With a 21-19 record ahead of the season’s midpoint, the Pistons are two games above .500 for the first time since the 2017-18 season.

Since Dec. 21, the Pistons have gone 10-2, joining elite company as one of only four teams with double-digit wins in that span. The others — the Oklahoma City Thunder, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Denver Nuggets — are all championship contenders. Detroit’s resurgence has been fueled by a team-wide effort, led by star guard Cade Cunningham, who is averaging 24.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 9.4 assists per game while shooting 38.2% from 3-point range.

“I’ve won more games this year than I have probably every other season already, and we’re halfway through the year,” Cunningham said during an appearance on ESPN‘s “NBA Today.” “It’s all about the details. There were a lot of times last year where the ball just didn’t bounce our way because we didn’t execute the small things. But this year, I think there’s a different attention-to-detail, a different intention in how we go out and our mindset going into each game.”

Cunningham credited the team’s improved chemistry to the addition of veterans Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley, and Tim Hardaway Jr., who have provided both on-court spacing and locker room stability. “We got some great vets to come in this year, and the energy’s just been different,” Cunningham said. “Having guys with experience that know how to win games to come help the young core that we had that was just trying to figure it out.”

The Pistons’ turnaround has been nothing short of remarkable. After starting the season 0-4 under new head coach JB Bickerstaff, the team has won 10 of its last 12 games, including a recent victory over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Detroit now leads the NBA in wins for January and is on pace to surpass its preseason win total of 25.5, set by BetMGM Sportsbook.

“We believe we can beat anybody,” said Pistons center Isaiah Stewart. “That’s our belief. We’re good enough to beat any team in this league. That’s the belief we’ve got, and we believe in each other.”

Cunningham, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, has risen to the forefront of the All-Star conversation. “I definitely feel like an All-Star, for sure,” he said. “I’m going to get everything I want as long as we keep winning games. It’s halfway through the year, and I want to keep winning games, a playoff series, and I think everything else will set out how it’s supposed to.”

For a franchise that hasn’t won a playoff game in 17 years, the Pistons’ resurgence offers a glimmer of hope. “The best part about this team is finding different ways to win the game,” Bickerstaff said. “We’ve got a lot more work to do, but we’re heading in the right direction.”