Once the 2025-26 regular season began, the Detroit Pistons quickly announced themselves as one of the toughest teams to crack from an offensive perspective given their hard-nosed, physical defensive profile. The Pistons started off allowing 114 points per game through October and November, which was respectable but not quite elite by Detroit's standard. But from that point on, the Pistons have worked to build a defensive resume that outshines most other squads in the NBA.

Isaiah Stewart would be in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year if he played a bit more frequently, but he did win the Defensive Player of the Month award for the Eastern Conference in December so the league is taking notice. Ausar Thompson consistently grades out as one of the best perimeter defenders in the league over the last decade, and Cade Cunningham owns the best defensive field goal percentage on shots outside of the paint.

When all of that is added together, the result is an old-school defense that thrives on physical competition and actually enjoys when games are drawn into the mud. That's where the Pistons are most comfortable actually-- and it shows.