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Jamal Collier
A number of Authors
BEFORE THEIR FINAL dwelling sport of the common season, Detroit Pistons heart Jalen Duren grabbed a microphone to handle the group at Little Caesars Area. The Pistons had been placing the ending touches on among the best common seasons in franchise historical past: 60 wins and the No. 1 seed within the Jap Convention, whereas finishing essentially the most dramatic two-year turnaround in NBA historical past.
From 14 wins two campaigns in the past to 60 wins in 2025-26, the Pistons’ 46-win enchancment is the most important leap in two seasons in NBA historical past, based on ESPN Analysis.
Standing in the midst of the court docket, Duren referred to as out to the group. “Deeeee-troit basket-ball,” mimicking the workforce’s legendary PA announcer, John Mason. Duren thanked the followers for his or her help throughout the season and likewise provided a reminder.
“We’re not performed but,” he mentioned. “We have got a protracted solution to go.”
The Pistons claimed the No. 1 seed on Nov. 7 and have sat atop the Jap Convention standings day by day since. And but they entered the playoffs as an underdog within the convention they dominated. In response to DraftKings, the Pistons started the playoffs with the fourth-best odds to win the Jap Convention (+500), behind the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks. “We expect we may win all of it,” Pistons ahead Ausar Thompson advised ESPN. “We do not take into consideration what different individuals say.
“I really feel like we may beat anyone.”
Detroit’s playoff run acquired off to a rocky begin in Sport 1, although, because it fell 112-101 on Sunday to the No. 8-seeded Orlando Magic in a sport the Pistons by no means led.
It was not solely the Pistons’ eleventh straight dwelling playoff loss, extending the longest streak in NBA historical past, nevertheless it supplied gas to a story: that this long-irrelevant franchise, which had made the postseason simply 3 times since 2010, isn’t deserving of the seed subsequent to its identify.
Detroit’s final dwelling playoff win got here in Sport 4 of the 2008 convention finals when Duren and Thompson had been 4 and 5 years previous, respectively.
Nonetheless, the Pistons have time to make good on Duren’s promise to the house followers, beginning with Sport 2 in opposition to the Magic on Wednesday night time (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).
And there are 5 causes to imagine that they’ll.
1. They realized critical classes after final 12 months’s crushing playoff loss
All-Star level guard Cade Cunningham made a vow shortly after the Pistons’ season ended final 12 months. Detroit had been engaged in a tightly contested collection with the Knicks earlier than being eradicated in six video games.
Down by three and with an opportunity to tie the rating within the closing seconds of Sport 6 in Detroit, Cunningham made a move to a wide-open Malik Beasley, the workforce’s greatest 3-point shooter, however the ball slipped by his palms and out of bounds. The turnover sealed the collection and ended Detroit’s first playoff look for the reason that 2018-19 marketing campaign.
“That feeling will keep on with us all through this summer time in our exercises and conversations,” Cunningham mentioned that night time. “We’ll be again and higher.”
Up to now, Cunningham is 2-for-2.
Duren is, maybe, essentially the most seen manifestation of that vow. He took two weeks off final offseason earlier than linking up with Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff throughout the summer time for particular person work. Doing so led to one of the best season of his profession.
“Actually, it type of modified my perspective,” Duren advised ESPN. “At first, it was attempting to get there, attempting to get to the membership. Now it is like OK, we all know now we have a adequate workforce to get again. Now it is like can we make some noise there?”
Bickerstaff, who’s a finalist for Coach of the 12 months, has heard the adage numerous occasions: Younger groups should expertise heartbreak within the early rounds of the playoffs earlier than they will obtain deep playoff runs.
Years of NBA historical past have bolstered this mantra — Michael Jordan falling to the Dangerous Boy Pistons; LeBron James’ varied playoff shortcomings earlier than he turned a champion; the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder dropping within the 2024-25 Western Convention semifinals regardless of amassing one of the best report within the league.
But these Pistons imagine they will defy it.
“We acquired a sense of what it felt like final 12 months in opposition to the Knicks — a collection that was extremely contested and one which type of made us really feel like there was extra on the market available,” Bickerstaff mentioned earlier this month. “That fueled what our guys did this summer time and turned it into this 12 months.”
The veteran coach has led a number of groups to the playoffs in his profession, together with the Cavaliers. These Cavaliers groups skilled related rising pains in Bickerstaff’s early seasons with the franchise. “I do suppose expertise issues,” Bickerstaff mentioned.
“Expertise for individuals is totally different. Within the playoffs specifically, when you’re a younger workforce and also you’re going through new experiences, it is decided by how rapidly you possibly can study and modify to that have. If in Sport 1 you study one thing and expertise one thing, in Sport 2, are you able to repair it? It would not take you three video games; you are in all probability going to lose that collection.”
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Jalen Duren throws down a slam with authority
Jalen Duren snatches an offensive rebound and hammers a one-handed dunk for Detroit.
2. The Duren of Sunday’s Sport 1 … was not the Duren of video games 1-82
Even after a disappointing Sport 1 loss, Cunningham’s postgame demeanor was regular.
“We’re sick about dropping this one,” he mentioned. “However it’s a protracted collection. There is no confidence drop from us.”
Cunningham did his half in Sport 1, ending with a playoff career-high 39 factors, together with 5 rebounds and 4 assists in 40 minutes. However his lack of a co-star was obvious.
All through the common season, although, Duren had been that co-star, ascending into All-NBA standing, alongside one other All-Star marketing campaign from Cunningham.
Duren elevated his scoring common to 19.5 factors this season, a 7.7-point enhance that was the seventh largest amongst gamers from final 12 months.
“[Duren is] determining how robust he’s on the ground,” Pistons ahead Tobias Harris advised ESPN. “He is determining methods to make guys higher. And I all the time advised him early on within the 12 months, your demeanor, your voice, your vitality is so essential for our complete group, particularly defensively. He is performed an important job simply taking on and determining how good he’s.”
The Pistons are going to wish that Duren in Sport 2 — one thing he addressed Tuesday — after the Magic efficiently dedicated their Sport 1 defensive scheme to cease him. He had simply eight factors and 7 rebounds.
“The scary factor is he generally is a complete lot higher too,” Harris mentioned. “And he is aware of that.”
3. Their bench is skilled — and deep
All 5 of the Pistons’ starters had been injured because the workforce ready for a sport on Nov. 12 in opposition to the Chicago Bulls. If there was going to be a scheduled loss, it could’ve been this one.
It was then, Harris advised ESPN, that he sensed a shift within the workforce’s confidence.
“I bear in mind pregame within the locker room, like, we count on to win this sport,” he mentioned. “That is simply our mentality — and we have simply been rolling with it.”
Behind a beginning lineup of Daniss Jenkins, Javonte Inexperienced, Paul Reed, Ronald Holland II and Duncan Robinson, the Pistons received by 11, enhancing to 10-2 on the season that night time regardless of lacking Cunningham, Duren, Harris and Thompson.
It set the tone for the remainder of the season, Harris mentioned. When Cunningham missed 11 video games with a collapsed lung on the finish of the common season, the workforce did not miss a beat.
“Everyone knows it is not one man,” Duren mentioned. “It takes the entire workforce for us to achieve success. We understood that from early on. We acquired a bunch of men in right here who can put the ball within the gap, guard and who all purchase into our tradition and what we have been constructing.”
Detroit went 13-5 (.722) with out Cunningham this season, one of the best successful share within the league amongst groups taking part in with out their main scorer, based on ESPN Analysis.
Bickerstaff has one of many deepest benches within the league. Detroit has 10 gamers averaging at the very least seven factors and who’ve appeared in 70% of the workforce’s video games. The mix is virtually unprecedented in NBA historical past: The Pistons are solely the second workforce in league historical past to take action, becoming a member of the 1962-63 Syracuse Nationals.
“If you may get guys to purchase in to an identification, to a method, in the event you can play systematic basketball on each ends of the ground,” Bickerstaff mentioned, “you possibly can have some success when guys are lacking or when guys should sub in as a result of all people is aware of their function, they know their accountability.”
4. They’ve performed exceedingly nicely within the clutch — they usually’ve performed it typically
The Pistons went 27-15 (64.3%) this season in clutch video games, tied for essentially the most clutch wins within the NBA and the fourth-best successful share.
After a clutch win over the Lakers close to the top of the season, Jenkins defined why.
“We do not play scared as a result of on the finish of the day, we all know we play protection,” he mentioned. “Once we get in these tight moments, it is by no means a panic.”
The numbers again him up. The Pistons performed the NBA’s second-stingiest protection.
And Detroit was particularly profitable when matching up in opposition to one of the best groups within the league. They went a league-best 30-12 in video games between playoff groups, together with 8-3 in contests in opposition to the highest 4 within the East.
5. Elite protection, inside and outside
From the second Bickerstaff took over as head coach in the beginning of the 2024-25 season, he bolstered the traits of a number of the greatest rosters in workforce historical past: physicality, toughness and a punishing protection that makes opponents suppose twice about going into the paint.
The Pistons have already got one DPOY finalist in Thompson, who hunts on the perimeter.
The mix of Isaiah Stewart and Duren on the inside has created one of many league’s most formidable combos on the rim, too. As a workforce, the Pistons held opponents to simply 54.6% capturing throughout the common season, third within the league behind Oklahoma Metropolis and Boston — the previous two NBA champions.
“We take tremendous, tremendous delight in it,” Duren advised ESPN. “My job as an anchor of the protection is to carry it down. And I take delight in it as a result of we’re a defense-first mindset workforce.”
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Isaiah Stewart makes an emphatic rejection on the rim
Isaiah Stewart denies Paolo Banchero, which ends up in a transition basket for the Pistons.
Duren’s chops shine by in his pick-and-roll protection. In response to GeniusIQ, the Pistons permit 0.92 factors per opponent choose when Duren is concerned, the 14th-best mark within the league.
After final 12 months’s playoff collection in opposition to the Knicks and going through one of many league’s premier pick-and-roll gamers in Jalen Brunson, Duren dove into movie over the summer time, on the lookout for simpler methods to defend the motion.
“Simply studying the place I could possibly be higher,” Duren advised ESPN. “Watching quite a lot of movie, understanding what my weaknesses had been and understanding what my strengths had been and type of simply locking in on it.”
Stewart, for his half, held opponents to simply 41.4% capturing when he was the closest defender, based on GeniusIQ, third amongst gamers who defended at the very least 500 area objectives this season (behind Oklahoma Metropolis’s Chet Holmgren and Boston’s Derrick White).
Within the paint particularly, Stewart held opponents to 43.8% capturing, the bottom area aim share amongst certified gamers within the league.