DETROIT – Last year’s Pistons weren’t that bad.
Sure, 2023-24 was the franchise’s second consecutive season with the worst record in the NBA. They lost a league-record 28 games in a row. Their overall mark of 14-66 was the worst in team history. But Malik Beasley saw something else: a foundation for the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference.
“I know this because I know what our scouting report said [while I played for] the Bucks,” Beasley said in an article for The Players’ Tribune. “We knew the Pistons were this group of young guys who battled like hell. They made you work for what you got. They just needed to learn how to finish.”
Sounds like Beasley was right.
The ninth-year shooting guard signed with Detroit having something to prove.
Players with chips on their shoulders; sounds just like the city of Detroit. And now—unthinkable as it may have been to outsiders one year ago—it looks like the Pistons are back.
“It’s been that way as long as I can remember,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said, reflecting on the team’s growth and grit. “What it came down to was, one, understanding ‘what do you need to do to win?’ And two, believing that you could. I think that’s been the difference in this group this year. Now they believe they can beat anybody.”
The #Pistons went from 14 to 44 wins but there's more to a team than its record. J.B. Bickerstaff saw early signs of success.
— Joel Sebastianelli (@JJSebastianelli) April 17, 2025
"Understanding 'what do you need to do to win?' And believing you could. That's been the difference: now they believe they can beat anybody." @Local4News pic.twitter.com/V0Cu3vMCrX
The next team in front of them is the third-seeded Knicks. Boasting a 51-31 record led by All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, New York is everything Detroit is not: a marquee brand assembled with star power and experience.
The Pistons still have their number.
Cade Cunningham’s statistics skyrocket under the bright lights, averaging 30.6 points and 8.3 assists against the Knicks this season. Detroit won three out of four meetings, including the last game played at Madison Square Garden January 13 which helped reinforce this group’s identity.
“The last time we played there, the belief really grew that we could beat good teams,” Bickerstaff recalled. “To do it in a place like the Garden where the energy is so amazing, it was great for us to be able to go in there, keep our composure, absorb their runs and go on our runs.”
All three of New York’s losses in the season series came with at least one player from the trio of Brunson, Towns and Mitchell Robinson sidelined.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau has praised Cunningham’s performance against the Knicks’ smaller guards, but the first-time All-Star isn’t letting the past dictate the future.
“I’m going in with an open mind,” Cunningham said. “I’m not shying away from anything. I’m not blocking out any possibilities, but at the same time I’ve played there before. I’ve played the game before. I think I have everything it takes to do what I want to do.”
Twice a winner already at the “Mecca of Basketball,” the Pistons return for Games 1 and 2 Saturday at 6 p.m. and Monday at 7:30 p.m. searching for their first playoff win since 2008. Although the team elaborates little on their game plan, what they’ve done to prepare for the big stage is evident to anyone inside the Pistons Practice Facility.
Crowd noise. Lots of it. Non-stop.
Recorded chants of “defense, defense” echoed beyond the court and into the halls on a loop Thursday afternoon, attempting to simulate the raucous crowds they’ll face in New York.
Only five Pistons (Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr., Tobias Harris, Paul Reed and Dennis Schröder) claim experience playoff experience. In both deafening environments and the hushed monotony of an 82-game season, this corps of veterans is fulfilling its role as leaders and stabilizers.
“Every play matters,” Beasley said. “They could steal the ball, take a charge and the crowd’s going to go crazy. That’s what we’ve got to understand. We’ve got to keep them quiet as much as possible.”
“It’s about staying composed, day in and day out,” Harris added. “That’s why it’s called a series.”
Only five #Pistons have playoff experience.
— Joel Sebastianelli (@JJSebastianelli) April 17, 2025
Tobias Harris is a 14-year vet with 61 postseason games played. The forward's advice to teammates is simple: enjoy it.
"It’s a battle every single night we play. It’s about staying composed, day in, day out." @Local4News pic.twitter.com/SAj3EG3b4Y
Even with just 240 combined playoff games to their names, the sum of this team adds up to more than all expectations laid before them. Pistons fans are living a dream, but the team is grounded in reality.
“We know what kind of game it’s going to be,” Isaiah Stewart said, “how we need to win games. We’ll go out there and be who we are.”
Who are the Pistons?
On the best nights, they’re rugged. They’re tenacious defensively, finishing 10th in defensive rating and nearing the top 10 in forcing turnovers. Despite not having an elite second scorer, they create space and unselfish opportunities around an ascending young star and rank third in percentage of points coming off fast breaks.
They are not boring. At the very least, they can’t be disrespected or ignored despite the inclinations of national media.
“Everybody on this team has something to prove,” Beasley added. “Everybody’s got that grit and grind. That’s why we’re doing what we’re doing.”
With a touch of the “Bad Boys” from days of old, these Pistons aren’t that bad. Not anymore. Beginning Saturday in New York, the first team in NBA history to triple its win total has earned the chance to show everyone how and why.
