... The Detroit Pistons shocked a lot of people last season, putting together a 60-win season and finishing with the number one record in the Eastern Conference at 60-22. Detroit trailed 3-1 in the first round against th...
... The Detroit Pistons shocked a lot of people last season, putting together a 60-win season and finishing with the number one record in the Eastern Conference at 60-22. Detroit trailed 3-1 in the first round against the Orlando Magic and came back to win that series. In the second round, the Pistons lost in Game 7 at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers. There will be many questions about Detroit as the 2026-27 NBA season approaches. Cade Cunningham was the best player on the Pistons roster last season. In 64 games, he averaged 23.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 9.9 APG. This season, if Detroit is going to be one of the top teams in the East, they are going to need Cunningham to play at an MVP level and get help elsewhere. Did the Pistons do enough this offseason to be good once again? Shaun Powell of NBA.com previewed the entire NBA Central Division as the 2026-27 season approaches. Some of the key additions to Detroit's roster this offseason were John Collins, Gary Harris, and Isaiah Joe. Powell wonders if that was enough to be a 60-win team again. Powell wrote: The competition for the top spot in the East will be stiffer this upcoming season; will the Pistons be able to string together another 60-win effort? The Pistons lost Stewart, a decent backup center, but otherwise refrained from making any significant changes and essentially exchanged Harris and LeVert for Collins and Joe. The talent level among those four was virtually equal, so it appears to be a push. Collins seems as if he's been in the NBA forever, and yet he's just 28 and seemingly still in his prime. As for Joe, who's one year younger, he has a chance to gain more minutes and perhaps a higher role with the Pistons than the depth-heavy Thunder. All signs point toward Cunningham once again and his ability to make teammates better. In that sense, the Pistons are in a good spot. One roster note worth clearing up: Harris is an arrival, not a departure. Detroit picked him up along with Taurean Prince in the July 8 trade with the Milwaukee Bucks that sent Caris LeVert the other way. The center Powell references is Isaiah Stewart, who was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies for future second-round picks. The Eastern Conference will be very competitive this season once again. Some of the contenders in the East along with Detroit will be the New York Knicks, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Boston Celtics. If the Pistons want to be a true title contender, they are going to need others to step up this season outside of Cunningham.
