Jake Yono

JY Journalism

4/1/25

The Detroit Pistons Are  Enroute To A Playoff Season For The First Time In 6 Years

The Detroit Pistons are closing out their 2024-2025 season, which was deemed successful and the greatest comeback record-wise by a franchise relating to the previous season. I will be explaining how the Pistons got to this magical height and how they can stay there to eventually win a playoff series, which, in my opinion, will be a successful season.

Led by 2021 first overall pick Cade Cunningham, Detroit has seen substantial gains with him leading the charge. Before Cade was implemented into the system in the 2020-21 season, Detroit was averaging about 20th league-wide in every major category (Scoring, Defensive Efficiency, FG Percentage, Turnovers allowed, etc.). That number has shrunk to around 1,5, making them 5 standings better. This hasn't been all Cade, as many players around him were acquired to make this possible, including players such as Tobias Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr., Malik Beasley, and a culture setter who has been there since 2020, Isaiah Stewart. All of these players contribute to the upbringing of the team's total point total per game, and their top 5 players average 5 more points per game this season compared to last, which has already amounted to over 200 more points during the 1st half of this campaign. Cade’s leadership has extended beyond the stat sheet, setting a tone of accountability and resilience. His improved playmaking and decision-making have helped elevate the team’s offensive tempo, while his commitment on defense has sparked intensity among teammates. Cunningham’s versatility has also opened up space for role players to shine. Whether it’s drawing defenders to kick it out to shooters like Beasley, or running pick-and-roll sets with Stewart, his presence on the court is as strategic as it is athletic. He’s taken the leap from promising young player to franchise cornerstone. Just like any pro sports team, all these moves begin in the front office. GM Troy Weaver deserves some credit here, although it has been a slow start, the 1st half of this season has been above all expectations thanks to the hiring of J.D Bickerstaff, with this 7 new coaches including Luke Walton, Trajan Langdon, and Dennis who are the president and vice president of basketball operations have been hired and 4 new front office staff were hired in terms to change the culture around the team and so far they have been successful. The Pistons have embraced a steady-growth approach, focusing on player development, building chemistry, and refining a modern, adaptable system. This patient but focused rebuild has allowed them to not only exceed expectations this season but also establish a sustainable foundation. The defensive system under Bickerstaff has also clicked, transforming the Pistons from a bottom-10 team into a top-10 defense, allowing them to close out games more effectively. Much of their identity now stems from defensive grit and unselfish ball movement. The Pistons no longer rely on isolation plays or last-second heroics — instead, they run a system predicated on execution, effort, and communication. The improvement has been as much cultural as it is tactical.

In the end Detroit has a lot to be optimistic about for their basketball club, form J.D Bickerstaff and the front office which went through a much needed renovation after the team averaged 18.5 wins over the past 5 seasons New veteran talent such as Tim Hardaway Jr., Tobias Harris, and Malik Beasley have arrived have led the team in the +/- ratio only being short of Cade Cunningham who just signed a contract extension of 5-years and $224 million (Detroit Pistons Contracts) who leads the team in scoring 24.5 Pts. Per game, which has trended up each year he has been with the team. All of these players including Cade are optimistic to see what comes with this newly formed Pistons organization which leads me to say the rest of the National Basketball Association should be on the lookout for the Detroit Pistons as they hope not just to make the playoffs but advance in a playoff series for the first time since 2008, this in my opinion will fulfill their goals going into the year. If the Pistons continue building around a healthy Cade, maintain their defensive edge, and stay active in developing young talent like Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, the future of Detroit basketball looks vary promising and the narrative of DETROIT BASKETBALL is starting to come back as Detroit hopes to win a playoff series and establish themselves as one of the most prominent teams in the association by winning high pressured playoff games.