Detroit Pistons Are Last Undefeated Team In Eastern Conference

Throughout the offseason, the Detroit Pistons did everything they could to become a more dangerous three-point shooting team after deploying an imbalanced offense last year, and the early-season returns would indicate that they’ve done just that. 

At 3-0, the Pistons put down three consecutive contenders for the Eastern Conference crown during the first week of the regular season. Most recently, Detroit lodged a 13-point victory on the road over the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Motown squad’s perimeter shooting, once again, helped seal the win for Detroit without two of their stars in the lineup. Up to this point, the Pistons have connected on the fourth-most triples in the entire NBA. 

Since Jalen Duren is out for at least two weeks with a strained hamstring and Ausar Thompson is nursing a sprained ankle, the Pistons had to make some adjustments to their rotation before facing the Sixers on their turf. Detroit opted to go with Paul Reed at the five, and Daniss Jenkins stepped into the starting lineup to give the squad a stronger backcourt presence as well with both players contributing to a 106-93 victory on Sunday night. 

While Jenkins posted 18 points on 3-for-4 shooting from three-point range, it was the fiery guard’s ability to crash the glass that helped make the difference without Duren down low. In the end, DJ grabbed eight rebounds and was one of five Pistons players to do so against the 76ers. Jenkins, Reed, Cade Cunningham, John Collins and Ron Holland II all finished the game with at least eight rebounds, so Detroit made a team-wide commitment to snag as many boards as possible in JD’s absence. 

”We’ve got an identity,” Jenkins said after the game. “Every time we step on the court no matter who’s out there, you’ve got standards and expectations. Whoever is out there, that’s how we’re going to go out there and play like. That’s all we do.”

While Jenkins stepped up in a big way with Thompson unable to play, Duncan Robinson has been the Pistons most consistent three-point shooter through the early part of the season. Robinson has sunk five triples in each game so far, which prompted Jenkins to put him atop the list of best shooters he’s witnessed. 

Now that Detroit has started the season with big wins over the Celtics, Heat and 76ers, the Eastern Conference has just one undefeated team remaining— the Detroit Pistons. But despite that reality, the Pistons are still embroiled in a gauntlet-like early portion of the regular season with a road game in Madison Square Garden against the defending champ New York Knicks next on the docket. 

So far, the Knicks are winless in the 2026-27 campaign after facing the Sixers, Celtics and Orlando Magic, but it is interesting that Detroit and New York already have a pair of common opponents. Either way, the Pistons will enter the matchup shorthanded since Duren will not be reevaluated for another two weeks, so Reed will likely continue to receive the promotional nod into the starting lineup for Detroit in the meantime. 

Tip-off between the Pistons and Knicks is set for 8 pm tomorrow night.