How Far Can The Detroit Pistons Go This Season?

It’s incredible how much can change in a year.

This time last year, the Detroit Pistons were struggling to secure their eighth victory of the season.

Now, they’ve won eight in a row, recently beating the defending champion Boston Celtics for their 33rd win of the season. That victory capped off a 19-8 start to 2025 (58-win pace), which has them playing like one of the best two-way teams in the NBA.

For four straight seasons, they’ve been among the top six in Draft lottery odds. Now, they’re virtually a lock to be a top-six seed team in the Eastern Conference.

The Pistons have become the feel-good story of the NBA season. But they’re also much more than that. Armed with a blossoming young superstar in Cade Cunningham and an eccentric cast of role players, the Pistons could be ready to make some noise in the postseason.

The question is: How far can they go?

Cade And The Pistons’ Half-Court Offense

Cunningham has been the primary catalyst behind the Pistons’ turnaround. Averaging career-highs in points, rebounds and assists shows how much he brings to the table for this team. He’s doing so on career-best scoring efficiency, improving as a midrange scorer and 3-point shooter, knocking down 36.3 percent of his looks beyond the arc.

Much of the Pistons’ postseason odds will boil down to whether Cunningham’s growth as an offensive hub can translate against playoff defenses. His high turnover rate may be a potential issue, but that might not tell the whole story.

Cunningham is scoring 1.085 points per 100 possessions as the pick-and-roll ball-handler, which ranks in the 85th percentile in frequency and efficiency — elite production compared to other high-usage creators. He’s been even better when the defense commits (1.09 PPP) or traps (1.256), which he’ll likely see much of in the postseason.

Ranking 17th in offensive rating, the Pistons’ half-court offense is mediocre. Yet with Cunningham on the floor, they score 8.5 more points per 100 possessions, which is an on-off swing ranking in the 94th percentile among point guards. He clearly elevates the Pistons’ offense nightly. But how exactly will that translate to the postseason?

One of Cunningham’s most prevailing qualities is he moves at his own pace, not allowing the defense to rush him. His size lets him use his strength to create separation in the lane, making it incredibly hard to guard him when he finds mismatches. Those aspects of his game should bode well in the methodical setting of playoff basketball.

The likely scenario is that Cunningham, similar to many young stars before him, will take his bumps in the postseason. But there’s also a case to be made he can thrive as a strength-based creator with a knack for scoring in the mid range. How it shakes out will be determined by his supporting cast.

The Supporting Offensive Firepower

With the added attention Cunningham has received lately (and will see in the playoffs), it’ll be on the supporting cast to make the most of the opportunities and advantages he creates for them.

They’ve done that so far this season. Malik Beasley has turned into prime Klay Thompson, having one of the best 3-point shooting seasons in recent memory. He takes 9.4 threes per night and knocks down 42.5 percent of them. He’s been one of the best spot-up players in the NBA, generating over 1.3 PPP on those possessions, which ranks in the 93rd percentile.

His movement shooting pairs excellently with Cunningham as he relocates into space and can weaponize his gravity off the ball to create space for the Pistons’ offense. Beasley doesn’t have much playoff experience, especially as an integral cog to a team’s offense, but he shot 44 percent on threes for the Milwaukee Bucks during their six playoff games last season. Detroit will need that to translate to the postseason if it wants any shot of beating a team in the first round.

Jalen Duren has been a late bloomer offensively for the Pistons this season. After struggling to start the year, he’s averaging 13 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and two stocks (steals + blocks) a night on 70.2 percent shooting since Jan. 1 (27 games). He’s an excellent offensive rebounder, springing over defenders to finish tip-ins, and has had a very good season as a rim-runner, developing a potent pick-and-roll connection with Cunningham.

More recently, the Pistons have been using Duren as a handoff hub in the high post. There, he can either fake the handoff and attack the basket or make plays for his teammates. The Pistons can also flow into pick-and-rolls between he and Cunningham off those actions and they’ve proven fruitful.

The Cade Cunningham x Jalen Duren connection was really fun to watch back last night.

The dunk on the second last play is disgusting. pic.twitter.com/lRe0Kt6DFF

— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) February 22, 2025

The X Factor: Tobias Harris

Ultimately, Duren’s offensive role is secondary to everything else he provides as a rebounder and defender. The Pistons will need him to defend the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns, Kristaps Porzingis or Giannis Antetokounmpo and hold his own on the glass in the playoffs.

The Pistons’ biggest offensive X factor is Tobias Harris. The 14-year veteran has been an excellent release valve this season, serving as a tertiary scoring option when defenses are keyed in on Cunningham or when Beasley is having an off night. Harris has endured his postseason struggles, though. With the Philadelphia 76ers, he’d often be invisible offensively and didn’t provide the scoring punch they needed to alleviate pressure off of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, James Harden and Ben Simmons.

While the Pistons don’t rely on him to the same degree — he has a career-low usage rate — he still needs to provide offensive stability in the postseason. And he could become even more vital if an opponent has the requisite point-of-attack defenders to make life hard on Cunningham.

Leaning On Defense

While Cunningham has been brilliant and Beasley and Harris have been steady offensively for the Pistons, their defense has set the tone. According to Cleaning the Glass, they’re 10th in defensive rating, allowing just over 113 points per 100 possessions.

Their main qualities are rebounding and protecting the paint at all costs. They’re fourth in defensive rebounding percentage and opponents’ points in the paint. They aggressively help at the basket, ranking 27th in opponents’ shots within 5 feet of the basket. Teams shoot just 62 percent on those looks, which is top 10 in the league.

Big man Isaiah Stewart has been particularly good. The Pistons are 2.3 points better defensively with him on the floor. When he’s the primary defender on field goals within 6 feet of the hoop, opponents are shooting 8.1 percent worse than their average, per NBA.com.

Along with Stewart, the return of second-year wing Ausar Thompson has provided the Pistons with a defensive playmaker. He’s an absolute star on that end who can practically do anything with his mix of athleticism, speed and strength. The Pistons are 5.3 points better defensively with Thompson on the floor. Their opposing turnover rate spikes 3.3 percent when he’s out there, ranking in the 97th percentile, and he’s fifth in the league in deflections per game.

Thompson’s presence has helped Detroit play faster and in transition more often. On the season, this club is fifth in transition frequency and 11th in efficiency. Since Thompson’s return, the Pistons are first and fourth in those respective categories.

How will that work in the postseason when teams better protect the basketball and the pace slows? Will Thompson and the Pistons still be able to force turnovers and run on the break? If they’re unable, can he stay on the floor, despite his offensive questions, especially as a shooter?

What Is Detroit’s Ceiling This Year?

So, how far can the Pistons go? Could they pull off an upset in round one? Can they make a miraculous run to the Eastern Conference Finals? Or, are they just an easy first-round out?

The boring truth is it’s dependent on matchups, like all playoff series are.

Certain teams like the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers are either too dominant offensively or are a bad matchup defensively for the Pistons and would likely beat them in a series. But there are also the New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks, which are more vulnerable on the perimeter and open the door for Cunningham and Co. to get their first playoff series win in over a decade.

Regardless, the Pistons haven’t won a playoff game since 2008. A single game.

That they’re in these conversations and it’s debatable whether they can actually win a playoff series is a marvelous turn of events.

What a season, what a year. Soak it all in, Pistons fans.