DETROIT – The Detroit Pistons are one of the hottest teams in the National Basketball Association, as they’re riding an eight-game winning streak after taking down the defending champion Boston Celtics.
Wednesday’s (Feb. 26) 117-97 victory to achieve their eighth consecutive win is the longest winning streak since the 2007-2008 season.
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The Pistons, during this streak, have defeated the No. 6 seeded Los Angeles Clippers (32-26) and the No. 2 seeded Celtics (42-17) thanks in part to the culture change that came along with the hiring of head coach J.B. Bickerstaff.
Since taking over the team, the Pistons look like a breath of fresh air on the hardwood as they’re the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 33-26 record.
To put that into perspective, the Pistons won 31 games over the past two seasons combined.
If you want more numbers, the Pistons dating back to Dec. 21 are 22-9 under the guidance of Bickerstaff, who deservedly should win the NBA Coach of the Year award off those numbers alone.
At the moment, Bickerstaff has a bunch of guys like All-Star guard Cade Cunningham orchestrating the offense in a way that he could potentially win the league’s Most Improved Player award.
Since Jan. 1, Cunningham has averaged 27.5 points per game, ranking seventh in the association.
The impactful signing of Malik Beasley, who looks to be the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award recipient, is shooting his way into a max deal with the franchise this offseason.
Beasley led the team in scoring, dropping 26 points alongside five rebounds and two assists in the matchup vs. Boston.
Earlier in the season, Beasley knocked down his 212th three-pointer, surpassing former Pistons forward Saddiq Bey’s previous franchise record of 211 from the 2021-22 season.
Since then, he’s made 1,369 this season.
Cunningham dropped 21 points, 11 assists, and four rebounds in the victory, but instead of praising himself for his performance this season, he praised his head coach.
“Coach Bickerstaff and his staff, I think he’s coach of the year, obviously,” said Cunningham. “But, the things that he’s done and how prepared that we’ve been, I’m not surprised that we’ve won so many games. We feel more prepared than other teams.”
It’s not just his own players who are calling for him to win the prestigious award, as Stephen A. Smith boldly announced on First Take Thursday morning.
“J.B. Bickerstaff is the Coach of the Year. I can’t believe it. I am shell-shocked at what I have seen from Detroit.
I am so happy for Malik Beasley. Cade Cunningham, this brother, is averaging over 25 (points) a game. He’s averaging over nine assists a game. This brother is special. The former No. 1 overall pick is 11th in scoring and third in assists.
You’re looking at the Pistons. They’re a sixth seed in the Eastern Conference right now. They would avoid the play-in.
This is a team that went 14-68 while riding a 28-game winning streak. They ended a 12-game skid against Boston a few nights after ending a 10-game skid against the Clippers.”
Stephen A. Smith
Bickerstaff has been relying on Cunningham and Beasley for most of the season.
But the defensive presence of Ausar Thompson has been the coming of age for the young star.
He’s averaging 11.6 points per game in his last eight games along with 38 steals on the season, the second most in the NBA during that span.
Those three gentlemen, along with Jalen Duren, surrounded by vets Tobias Harris, newly acquired guard Dennis Schröder and enforcer Isaiah Stewart, they look like a team ready to compete in the playoffs.
Look for the Bickerstaff and his Pistons to keep the ball rolling as they take on the Denver Nuggets on Friday, Feb. 28, inside Little Caesars Arena at 7 p.m.
