The Detroit Pistons haven’t been this strong at midseason in years. Even just last season before their first playoff berth in six years, the Pistons were only one game above .500 midway through before they really found their rhythm.
Now the Pistons are thriving and finished the first half of their season with a 31-10 record. That’s the best record in the Eastern Conference and second-best in the NBA, behind the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
Things haven’t been perfect by any means for the Pistons, but this team is ever competitive and seeing contributions up and down their roster.
With the Pistons finishing the first half of their 2025-26 season atop the Eastern Conference, let’s take a look at MLive’s midseason grades for the team:
Bigs
Jalen Duren: A
17.8 PPG | 10.7 RPG | 1.8 APG | 63% FG
Duren has made the jump that the Pistons were banking on him taking after really hitting his stride toward the end of last season. It’s a contract year for the 22-year-old and it seems like he’s taking full advantage and potentially setting himself up for a long future with this franchise if the two sides come together. With 19 double-doubles on the season, Duren also has a shot at his first All-Star selection.
Tobias Harris: B-
13.7 PPG | 4.6 RPG | 2.5 APG | 47% FG | 33.7% 3PT
Detroit’s security blanket has time and again shown up with big moments for the Pistons, particularly when it’s needed some scoring outside their top two players, most recently against the Boston Celtics. The big knock against the 14-year veteran is that his availability has been some of the worst in his career. Harris has already missed 16 games, the most for him since 2013-14.
Paul Reed: B+
5.8 PPG | 4.3 RPG | 1.2 APG | 59% FG | 35% 3PT
Reed is one of the players on the roster who epitomizes everything the Pistons preach in terms of being ready any time your number is called. Despite playing a very limited role for most of the season, Reed is always ready to come up with some big plays on both ends. His highlight game back in November saw him score 28 points with 13 rebounds, six assists and four steals in a short-handed win over Chicago. As far as a third option goes down low, Reed’s about as good as it gets.
Isaiah Stewart: A
10.1 PPG | 5.6 RPG | 2.0 BPG | 1.2 APG | 53% FG | 36% 3PT
After a year spent holding things down defensively for the Pistons, Stewart has emerged again as an offensive weapon. He had the first 30-point game of his career earlier in January, but his defense remains on another level. Stewart is fourth in the NBA for blocks and is arguably the top rim defender in the league with a defended field goal percentage of 45.6% at the rim.
Wings
Javonte Green: B+
7.3 PPG | 2.7 RPG | 1.4 SPG | 44.3% FG | 36.2% 3PT
Green has frequently been described by the Pistons as the “perfect fit” for what the team does and there’s really no arguing there. While his role does vary at times, Green is one of the most energetic defenders on the team and can get really streaky from three-point range. “Woo” is tracking for the best defensive season of his career with a big bounce-back in shooting after a career-worst season in 2024-25. He’s also the only player on the roster to have played in every game.
Caris LeVert: C+
7.9 PPG | 2.8 APG | 1.8 RPG | 43.1% FG | 34% 3PT
It’s been a strange start to LeVert’s time with the Pistons as he’s missed 11 games and proven to be uneven in his start-stop time coming off the bench. In terms of what the coaching staff is asking of him, though, it feels like he’s getting the job done. The stats aren’t looking too friendly, but he’s shooting 34% from deep, playing solid defense and been a provider for his teammates.
Ron Holland: B-
8.3 PPG | 4.4 RPG | 1.4 SPG | 41% FG | 23.3% 3PT
Holland continues to flash for the Pistons in his second year. The 20-year-old is by no means a finished product, but the pieces are really starting to come together with how he can contribute to a winning team. His motor is endless, he’s a bothersome defender and has a knack for explosive plays in transition. There’s plenty to be desired in terms of offense, particularly his ability to finish and shoot from range, but his skillset continues translating well in Detroit’s system.
Ausar Thompson: B+
10.8 PPG | 5.9 RPG | 2.6 APG | 1.6 SPG | 50.8% FG | 26.3% 3PT
A breakout season for Thompson last year has continued into another really solid effort for one of Detroit’s rising young players. Thompson is quickly becoming one of the best perimeter defenders in the league and is often the one in charge of defending the top offensive player on the opposing team. Shooting away from the paint has been questionable — 5-of-19 from deep and a team-low 56% free-throw shooter — but Thompson is undoubtedly an important part of Detroit’s success this season.
Guards
Cade Cunningham: A-
25.7 PPG | 9.8 APG | 5.9 RPG | 1.4 SPG | 45.2% FG | 32.7% 3PT
The first back-to-back All-Star for the Pistons since 2007 and 2008, Cunningham is having another special season. He’s one of two players in the NBA with 25+ points, 9+ assists and 5+ rebounds, joining Denver’s Nikola Jokic. Cunningham is in the MVP discussion after being an All-NBA Third Team selection last year. If not for his three-point percentage dipping by 20 points, Cunningham would be at an A.
Jaden Ivey: C+
8.4 PPG | 2.2 RPG | 1.7 APG | 46.3% FG | 36.1% 3PT
Coming off a major leg injury, Ivey’s return was delayed another month due to a preseason procedure. Since getting back in the fold, Ivey has shown flashes of his old self, but truthfully hasn’t received enough run to prove he can still contribute at that level. In 30 games last season, Ivey played 20-plus minutes 28 times. This season, Ivey’s done so just six times in 25 games. Still, his ability to create his own offense is still there and he’s had some strong performances off the bench.
Daniss Jenkins: A
7.4 PPG | 3.3 APG | 1.8 RPG | 43.1% FG | 40.5% 3PT
Arguably the biggest surprise of the year, the Pistons’ two-way guard has broken through to the regular rotation after having seven NBA games under his belt before this season. Jenkins had a massive week in November with the Pistons dealing with a plethora of injuries. Since, Jenkins has remained a facilitator and playmaker the Pistons turn to off the bench. It feels like Jenkins is not long for being on a two-way deal after the first half of this season.
Chaz Lanier: C
3.3 PPG | 0.9 RPG | 0.8 APG | 35.4% FG | 34.1% 3PT
Detroit’s lone rookie has spent a lot of this season with the G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise, but when he’s got out on the court for the Pistons, the returns have been pretty decent. Lanier’s a great spacer and not afraid to shoot the ball. He’s in an unfortunate situation where there just aren’t that many minutes for him, but if his defensive chops can keep developing to the level the Pistons expect, he could have a bright future in Detroit.
Duncan Robinson: B+
12.1 PPG | 2.7 RPG | 1.9 APG | 44.1% FG | 40.6% 3PT
The Pistons had a lot of three-point shooting to replace over the offseason and the addition of Robinson has been critical in that aspect. He’s leading the team with nearly three made three-pointers a game and shooting at a 41% clip. This would be the veteran’s first season shooting above 40% from deep since 2020-2021 if Robinson can keep it up. He’s started more games than anyone on the team and remains integral to Detroit’s spacing and production on offense.
Marcus Sasser: C+
5.5 PPG | 1.7 APG | 1.1 RPG | 48.8% FG | 44.8% 3PT
It’s been a small sample size for Detroit’s third-year point guard and the emergence of Jenkins hasn’t helped him get back on the court after dealing with a hip injury for the first month and some change of the season. Sasser had a couple standout performances against the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat, which showed he can still be a difference maker. It’s another case where the team is just too deep to get every player out on the court at this point.
Haven’t seen enough
We’re not going to grade any of the players who have appeared in fewer than 10 games this season, which will include Bobi Klintman, Tolu Smith, Wendell Moore Jr. and Isaac Jones. Most notable has just been the lack of usage from Klintman. The second-year forward has played in just six games for 53 total minutes after being hyped up for a premier spot in Summer League before the season. Another young player a bit unlucky that the rotation is so deep.
J.B. Bickerstaff and coaching staff
Grade: A
The Pistons have been the top team in the Eastern Conference since Nov. 7 and currently have a lead over five games, that’s thanks in large part to second-year coach J.B. Bickerstaff and his fellow coaches. Detroit has dealt with its fair share of injuries throughout the year and played without four starters at times, but it’s rarely been able to shake the team. Bickerstaff is getting just about everything from his players on a nightly basis and that’s led to the Pistons having their best first half since 2005-06 when the team won 64 games and were the No. 1 seed in the East en route to a conference finals appearance. Without Bickerstaff, this doesn’t happen.