The Detroit Pistons are in good position to repeat postseason appearances

When the regular season begins in just under three weeks, the Detroit Pistons will have the opportunity to position the squad as one of the toughest, youngest groups in the entire NBA. Led by All-NBA, fifth-year point guard Cade Cunningham handling the rock, the Pistons carried out a monster 30-win turnaround last year and wound up in the playoffs, though the New York Knicks bounced Detroit in a six-game first round series. 

With that template, Detroit can prove that last season was not a fluke or a mirage with a strong start to the 2025-26 campaign, and doing so will hinge on three key aspects: 

1. Competition from Caris LeVert, Duncan Robinson and Ron Holland II to be first man off the bench

During the summer, the Pistons brought in a pair of veterans in Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson to help complement Detroit’s largely youthful core. LeVert and Robinson have proven to score at a moderate level, with the latter as one of the NBA’s premier three-point merchants, so they can offset some scoring loss through the departures of Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dennis Schroder in the offseason.

Ron Holland II, on the other hand, is a second-year wing player with a competitive mentality and the range to help Detroit space the floor. Holland was a key role player off the bench, but his impact helped shape the Pistons culture into that of a hard-working, tenacious bunch. If Holland can build on his strong start and contribute more offensively, he could compete with Robinson and LeVert to be the sixth man on a talented playoff-caliber squad. 

2. Continue to play at a high pace with such a young team

Last year, Cunningham helped control the tempo in Detroit, and the Oklahoma State All-Star point guard pushed the Pistons to a ninth-best pace league-wide at 99.8. So, the Pistons can run with just about any team in the NBA with Cunningham at the helm dishing to speedsters like Jaden Ivey or players with high-level burst like Ausar Thompson to finish plays. 

Cade Cunningham Puts All-Star Plaque On Wall At Detroit Pistons Facility <i>Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham was recently honored for his dominant fourth year in the league</i>

Over the past several seasons, Detroit has put a focus on youth and building a squad from the ground up, and those fresh legs helped serve the Pistons down the stretch playoff run last year. An approach that utilizes that pace on a consistent basis could help wear teams down when the postseason is on the horizon.

3. Develop a productive low-post scorer between Duren and Thompson

Last year, Jalen Duren averaged a double double with 11.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, while forward Ausar Thompson contributed 10.1 points per game thanks to his strong cuts to the basket and ability to finish near the rim. 

Now, the offensive product of both Duren and Thompson is considered to be a work in progress, but Detroit needs more production than 20 points on a game-by-game basis from two players who are looked upon to be starters on a playoff-caliber team. 

The Detroit Pistons will begin the regular season on Wednesday, Oct. 22 against the Chicago Bulls.

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