After nearly a week away from the floor, the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons wasted no time reminding everyone they are for real.
Detroit rolled past Atlanta on Friday, hanging 142 points on the Hawks in a runaway win that pushed the Pistons to 20-5. And afterward, center Jalen Duren made it clear he does not see many peers at the moment.
Despite Oklahoma City owning just one loss, Duren said Detroit belongs at the top of the league, according to Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press.
“It shows the world that we’re serious about winning, that we are serious about contending for a championship,” Duren said. “Because that’s what we do it for. I think we’re the best team in the league and we’re going to continue to show it.”
The confidence is matched by depth. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff emptied the bench Friday, using all 13 available players as Detroit continues to operate without anyone on the injury report. For Bickerstaff, that is exactly where he wants to be.
“It’s great for us. That’s what we’ve been working toward,” he said. “Being able to have everyone available, and then you have to make decisions.”
Those decisions now come with options. Bickerstaff said having a full roster allows Detroit to experiment with rotations, matchups, and lineup combinations that were not possible earlier in the season.
Different groupings, switching looks, and pressure-based units are all on the table.
The Pistons have backed up the talk so far. They are winning, they are healthy, and they are deep.
After Friday’s performance, they are also loud about it, and in Detroit, that is starting to sound like a team that believes its window is already open.