Detroit Pistons Take Early Lead In Central Division Standings

By the time Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham suffered a collapsed lung late in the 2025-26 regular season, the squad had essentially already wrapped up the Central Division crown. Though there were still games on the table, Daniss Jenkins was able to keep the squad on track until Cunningham returned just before the playoffs, so the Pistons obtained the top seed in the Eastern Conference with 60 wins and a divisional title all in one fail swoop. 

Following up that effort, the Pistons have approached this season with all intentions to repeat as Central Division champions. So far, Detroit has a 6-2 record after facing a fairly difficult stretch to open the year, and the Motown squads has done so without Jalen Duren or Isaiah Joe for much of that time to make that record even more impressive. But even with a strong opening stretch, the Pistons need to keep an eye on a couple teams that are still close by in the near-view mirror. 

Right now, the Cleveland Cavaliers are in second place for the Central with a 4-4 mark, but they clearly have not begun to click after adding Peyton Watson during the offseason. Apart from that addition and losing both Max Strus and Dean Wade during the summertime, the Cavs are returning a very similar squad to the one that bounced Detroit from the postseason last year, so they likely still own a mental edge over the Pistons as well. 

So far, the Cavs already have a three-game winning streak under their belt, which includes a victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, so Cleveland has shown some signs of contending already. As expected, Donovan Mitchell is leading the team in scoring with over 22 points per night, but the more surprising element could be Jarrett Allen’s status as the squad’s second-leading scorer with James Harden checking in at No. 4. 

Now, the Cavs are coming off back-to-back losses to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but that scheduling quirk would have been difficult for any team in the NBA. However, Cleveland’s next two games will be against the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers, so they are not about to receive a break anytime soon. 

Moving further down the Central Division standings, the Indiana Pacers were looked at as a serious challenger entering the season with Tyrese Haliburton making his return, but they have run into a rash wave of injuries that have slashed their depth. Earlier this week, the Pacers only had six players who were healthy enough to log minutes in a regular season game, which details just how dire the injury situation was for Indiana. Despite their 3-6 record, the Pacers could still improve once they get healthy again, but they’re at a disadvantage right out of the gate. 

Then taking a glance at the cellar of the division, the Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks are tied for last at 1-7 apiece. In Chicago’s defense, the Bulls have faced exclusively the Sixers, Knicks and Boston Celtics over their past six games, so the scheduling powers at be did not take it easy on the Bulls. The Bucks, on the other hand, are still looking for proper direction as a franchise in their Giannis-less timeline, so it would be a surprise to see either squad challenge the Pistons, Cavs or Pacers for the division crown. 

Right now, the Pistons are in the midst of three consecutive off days before hosting the Los Angeles Lakers at Little Caesars Arena on Sunday, Nov. 8 at 6 pm.