Detroit Pistons Will Make Eastern Conference FINALS?! INSANE 2 Year Turnaround!

Detroit Pistons Will Make Eastern Conference FINALS?! INSANE 2 Year Turnaround!

Can we please talk about the Detroit Pistons? It’s just the best. It’s the best. I love this story. I’ll never stop loving it. Uh they beat Milwaukee on Saturday 12 straight for Duois. Uh they’re just a victory away from matching the longest winning streak in franchise history, which was 1989 90 and 0304, which is insane that we’re doing streaks like this two years after the worst of all time. Um okay, Chaylor, do we do we take them seriously? Let’s just start in the East. Can they go to the finals? Are we actually going to start saying that out loud without flinching? Yes. I I I’ve seen enough. And you know what? Because it’s their team. It is what it is. And it’s not the most talented roster. It’s not the deepest team. It’s not household names. They’re not a bunch of vet guys. Like there there’s just this combination of tough, hard-nosed guys that defend and they respect their head coach and they play hard. And nowadays, that’ll get you in the door and that’ll get you with the game on the line. It’ll be close. And they have a MVP candidate who we need to talk about more. Cade Cunningham, who is one of the better closers in the NBA. He’s so clutch down the stretch. He can beat you in so many different ways. So, yes, they are for real because no matter what, if they’re offense is is bogged down and and slow that night, they can defend. They’re going to play more physical than you. They’re tougher than you. And they have the favorite to win coach of the year, JB Bickerstaff, who I think is one of the greatest coaches in the NBA. And so they have that combination where they they they genuinely are having fun. They play unselfish. They know it is put the ball in Kade Cunningham’s hands and then any other any other thing helps is extra. There there’s Jaden Ivy’s coming back. Jaylen Durant has turned out to just be this absolute manchild who just turned 22 years old. So they have all the pieces and and this summer I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t think they made enough moves. I didn’t think they made enough noise to to kind of do what they’re doing now. So it is somewhat surprising. But the Eastern Conference is so wide open. The Cavs are going to be there. The Knicks are kind of hot and cold. You know, the Raptors have been a bit of a surprise, but no one’s really drinking that juice. There’s no reason why I don’t see the Pistons at least go in the Eastern Conference Finals this year with how wide open it is. And that’s big reason with Kade Cuttingham. But why why not why not Toronto? And we’re saying Detroit. They’re they’re one and two. And we just made they’re literally neighbors. Come on. Yeah. The East is w the East is wide open. And in my case with Detroit is I say why not? Everybody listen, why not? They’re they’re in the they’re in the front. They’re the front runners at this at this time and everybody else just is kind of okay. I think Detroit is the only team that’s taking care of business. They finished their breakfast and they’re for 14 and two. You know, all of these teams from 3 to 10, they’ve beaten each other and and it’s kind of like a mix of who’s in the middle of the pack. Detroit has separated themselves. Toronto has separated themselves. Outside of that, we don’t really know. I think Miami wakes up at some point. I think Boston is is good enough of a team and organization, they have that pedigree where they can figure things out, maybe make some moves at the trade deadline to put them back in the conversation. I think once uh New York figures it out with their new coach and their new style, I think they figure it out. Cleveland, when they get healthy, um they’re still going to figure it out. I think they they’re still one of those teams that can go on a 15-0 run. They’ve showed us that they can go on a 15game winning streak. All of these things are at play, but Detroit is a consistent. Toronto is a consistent. So, if they have title hopes, I say why not? They’re playing like it. They have all of the pieces. You know, they might not pass the eye test when it comes to talent and names and, you know, everybody jumping off the paper when you want to look at a roster and say, “I think this is a roster that can do it.” I think they have the right mix of guys and it works for them. And like you said, they have an early candidate and coach of the year as well. All of the pieces are there in Detroit, you know. So, I say why not? I’m I’m not arguing that they can’t. I say why not? Yeah. The one thing I disagree with that you said is I think that Toronto has separated themselves. I don’t I think they’re off to a great start. I still think Cleveland, Miami, Atlanta, New York, all the teams below them. I still think they’re a better basketball team than Toronto. I used to think that about Detroit. I don’t anymore. I feel like I’ve seen enough from last year to the growth to Detroit this year to the way they play, the style they play. I think that’s more sustainable than Toronto. Now, I’m hyper start. I think that I think they’re going to be a playoff team, but do I think the Toronto Raptors are going to finish a top four team? I really don’t. But I do think the Pistons are there. I think the Pistons worst case scenario are the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference this year. But we talked about this all season long, Lou. Like, think about the think about the right now. Look at the standings. Like, the Boston Celtics are the 10th seed. They’re nine and eight. The Orlando Magic kind of an underachieving, but I think they’re going to figure it out and get better. The Bulls were this big surprise team that started off hot but then kind of came back down to earth a little bit. Philly is kind of the big question. What are you going to get from Joel Embiid? What are you going to get from Paul George? But they have that dynamic back court. Like there’s no reason that Detroit can’t just beat all those teams and are better than those teams. I just don’t see that yet with Toronto. But Detroit, I’m sold. I think I think Cleveland’s still the team to beat, but I think Detroit’s right there. And I would love to see JB Biggerstaff go to Cleveland, knock them out of the playoffs as the as the head coach of Detroit. But all of those you all of those teams that you just mentioned, including the Boston Celtics at the 10 spot, they’re a game and a half out of third. Like, so this they’re scary. That’s a scary tin seed, the Boston Celtics. They’re a game and a half out of third. And then you look at Toronto like like this is why I look at Toronto. I can look at that roster and I can look at Ingram. I can look at Barnes and Quickly and Barrett and say and Ple. I can look at those guys and say, “You know what? They jump off the sheet. They jump off of the paper as one of those teams who have names that I feel like could sustain where they’re at in this position. But both to both of our points, the East is all over the place. We don’t know what’s what. We don’t know what’s real. This is still very early in the season and the sample size. And I I told Chandler this in the production meeting last week. I don’t start I don’t start looking at teams and seeing who’s real until after the All-Star break because that’s when you start your legs starting to get a little weary. You’re dealing with injuries. you’re dealing with some adversity at that point. Now we know what teams are what’s real and what’s not. Anybody can have some early success. I remember a year in in Philadelphia where we the number one team in the East all year long and we were the number one team in our division. Get to the finish line and we give it away to the Boston Celtics. And I’ll never forget we played them in the playoffs and Kevin Garnett walks up to us and says, “I appreciate y’all babysitting that number one spot for us. Appreciate that little dogs.” And that stuck with me over my career because again, you don’t know how good you are until you go through the weather, until you go through the storms, then you come out on the other end of it as just as equally successful. So, I still have that I still have that viewpoint for the Detroits and the and the and the Cleveland’s uh and the Toronto and some of these teams that are having, you know, some surprises. Last year, Cleveland was that surprised team. It didn’t work out. Now, they’re still right there in that three spot. I want to see them emerge as one of those top teams. But again, in the East, why not? Everybody’s clustered up until somebody starts creating some separation. Yeah. And I feel like more so than ever, the conference matters so much this year. Like if the Pistons were a West Jesus, West Conference team, you got this. Y conference team. I think the Thunder are a better team. I think the Nuggets are a better team. I think the Rockets are another team. So, it’s Yes, they’re handling business and they’re they’re one shy of a franchise record. Like, they are doing their thing. They still got to come out of the Eastern Conference, but I think there’s five, six, seven teams in the Western Conference that they’re going to possibly down the road beat in the finals that are just as good, if not better. There’s a lot of basketball to be playing, but it’s a great start for them. It’s a hell of a story that I love the fact that we’re talking about them so much early on and and there’s for it’s for a reason because they’re rolling and they have MVP candidate, they have a coach of the year candidate, and they’re doing everything right. We just want to see more of it. We don’t want to see it in the playoffs. I’m glad we’re talking about them in this manner. Listen, two short years ago, we were laughing and making jokes and saying they were god awful. And now look at this team basically with the same core of guys. So kudos to them. It’s a hell of a turnaround. Like it’s it’s not common to see it so drastic, but here we are. Um, all right. Let’s do let’s do a little thunders talk. Thunder talk.

On November 24, 2025 episode of ‘Run It Back’ on FanDuel TV, co-hosts Michelle Beadle, Chandler Parsons, and Lou Williams wonder about the Charlotte Hornets trading LaMelo Ball, and if the Detroit Pistons are true title contenders!

FULL EPISODE HERE: https://youtube.com/live/9HOeuxMTcWw

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