A seven-game win streak and the team’s best start to the season in two decades have fans thinking - what is the true ceiling of this team? And is this real life?
The answer to the latter is, yes, yes it is.
The Pistons have won in different ways throughout this win streak despite being down some key players. The constants who have been the driving force of winning continue to flourish, which means this can all be sustainable.
1. Physical defense carrying the torch
Aside from what was somewhat of an outlier performance on the second half of a back-to-back, the Pistons’ defense has been a revelation this season. As a team, they rank second in opponent field goal percentage and blocks, third in turnovers forced and steals, and third in rebounding. The only categories where they sit near the bottom of the league are fouls per game (28th) and opponent free throws attempted (29th) — a testament to just how physical their defensive identity has become.
That identity started to take shape during last year’s playoff series against the Knicks, when Detroit proved that this brand of basketball could be part of a winning formula. What’s emerged now is a disciplined, bruising defensive group that sets the tone nightly — even if it means sending teams to the line more often than they’d like.
The combination of individual brilliance and team success is what puts players in the MVP conversation — and Cade Cunningham’s start to this season has him firmly entering that territory.
While his style doesn’t feel drastically different from last year, a closer look reveals clear growth. With the absence of a true secondary playmaker or scorer, Cunningham has looked more comfortable than ever. His turnovers have dropped significantly since the first week of the season, and he’s been double-teamed at one of the highest rates in the league. His 46-point triple-double in last night’s overtime win came amid a record-setting double-team rate — and he still found ways to dominate.
What makes Cunningham’s rise even scarier is the potential for further improvement once key teammates return from injury. His ability to adapt his approach based on the opponent is perhaps his most impressive trait — and it’s translating directly to wins.
3. Can Duren sustain this level of play?
That Cunningham’s breakout has somewhat overshadowed Jalen Duren’s leap speaks volumes about how special both have been.
At just 22 years old, Duren is putting together a career season — averaging 19 points, 12 rebounds, and shooting nearly 65% from the field. His assist numbers have dipped slightly, but that’s largely a reflection of his increased aggressiveness around the rim. Once viewed primarily as a rim-runner, Duren is now showing flashes of a developing midrange game that could elevate his ceiling even further.
Not long ago, questions surrounded Duren’s defensive potential. Now, it’s his growth on that end that’s helped turn him into a complete big man — and a legitimate Most Improved Player candidate.