The Detroit Pistons look fierce coming off a big win against the Phoenix Suns. No, the Suns aren’t even a top team or juggernaut (in fact, they are one of the worst in the league) but to see the Pistons beginning to handle their opponents they way they’re supposed to be is very encouraging. We’re starting to see the signs of a serious playoff contender in these Pistons. This type of winning needs to become a staple so that the fans will get on board, get to these games and support our Pistons. Let’s get to the 3 reasons why Detroit Basketball is back.
TEAMWORK
These Pistons seem to have taken a page from the 2004 Pistons when it comes to how we attack the game. You just don’t know who’s going to have the hot hand and who’s going to step up and impact the game. We have a lot of depth that is slept-on throughout the entire league. The league is focused on superteams and the Pistons are a very sneaky group. Some games Tobias Harris will lead in scoring, then Avery Bradley, then Andre Drummond. That can confuse teams when it comes to the scouting report. It’s hard to gameplan when we’ve got the potential to have multiple players scoring in double figures. Let’s give a lot of the credit to Reggie Jackson buying in on the team concept and not saying things in the media or pouting on the sidelines like we’ve seen in the past. With his game maturing and Drummond’s game rising, we could begin to believe that the identity of this team is now cemented.
Stanley and Reggie keeping it up in the second half. #PistonsNow pic.twitter.com/oOirugG8aE
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) November 30, 2017
DEFENSE
Of course, the motto has always been, “Defense wins championships”. This couldn’t prove to be more true, at least when it comes to disrupting Superstar players. We’ve disrupted every Superstar player who has gone against us, including LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Russell Westbrook. The league should be on notice that there’s a defensive juggernaut lurking and ready to prove something. This team has had its entire defensive culture changed by the arrival of Avery Bradley. They continue to acknowledge him as the reason why they get up and into their opposition consistently, game after game. I would believe that it’s pressure as well. If you’ve got one player on your team giving his all, it should push you to do the same so that you aren’t the one blamed for leaving someone hanging on an assignment or a rotation. It still takes a good offense to win games but defense is a great place to hang your hat on. The Bad Boys hung their hat on it, the ’04 squad hung their hat on it, and these Pistons are starting to hang their hat on it too.
BALL MOVEMENT
I think the days of heavy isolation carrying a team to a championship are nearly over. Only LeBron James can have an isolation-heavy team that sees consistent success. That’s just a testament to his effect on the floor. We’ve seen the Spurs, Mavericks, Warriors, and even the 2008 Celtics win with ball movement as the focal point of the offense. Over the last 10 years, the championship has been won by teams with better ball movement and overall teamwork. Isolation has been slowly fading into obscurity unless you were Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, or Kobe Bryant. The Pistons have been moving the ball very well this season and look to be doing as well as the San Antonio Spurs, Boston Celtics, and Golden State Warriors. That puts us in some very rare ground. That puts us in conversations with conference finalists and champions. I think the more we see of this unselfish play, the more we will ascend to greater heights and continue to shock the league. The Pistons have become must-see TV!
UP NEXT: The Detroit Pistons play at the Washington Wizards on Friday, December 1st @ 7 PM ET.
