With the regular season over, some teams still await to hear which team they will face in first round of the NBA Playoffs.
Other teams, like the Detroit Pistons, have the privilege of knowing which team they’ll face and have almost a full week to prepare.
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The Pistons’ turnaround is one of historic proportions.
After finishing 14-68 and last in the Eastern Conference a year ago, the Pistons improved by 30 wins to go 44-38 and avoid the NBA Play-In Tournament.
The improvement of 30 wins ranks seventh among the largest single-season turnarounds in NBA history.
Apr 10, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) defends against Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) during the second half at Little Caesars Arena.© David Reginek-Imagn Images
NBA Experts disrespect Detroit Pistons
The turnaround started when they hired J.B. Bickerstaff after being fired from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Cade Cunningham was the catalyst on the floor. He averaged 26.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 9.1 assists this season. He was favored for the Most Improved Player of the Year award for much of the season until the odds shifted in favor of Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels late in the season.
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The Pistons also owned this matchup this season. In four games, they went 3-1. In those games, Cunningham averaged 30.8 points, 8.3 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game.
Despite those factors, it wasn’t enough for ESPN’s experts to pick against the Knicks, as all 10 picked New York to win the series.
Four predicted the Knicks would win in seven games, three in six games, and three in five games.
The Pistons have a few edges on the Knicks. The first is on defense. The Pistons finished the year No. 9 in defensive efficiency.
The second is on the boards. Detroit was the No. 8 team in total rebounds, while the Knicks were No. 23.
New York is a -430 favorite to defeat Detroit, which is an implied probability of 81.13%. Who would you take?