30 games is enough time for teams to develop an identity that defines them for the rest of the season.
30 game is enough time to notice team trends and tendencies of individual players. You can learn a lot about how a team might play in the playoffs through 30 games of NBA regular season action. While adjustments are key throughout a season, you can learn a lot about a head coach and his tendencies as well through 30 games.
In Detroit’s case, they’ve won 24 of their first 30 games of the season. This means there is easily more positive things to realize about the Pistons than negative. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has done an excellent job instilling a winning mindset that extends to every player on the roster from two best players to the last player on the furthest end of the bench.
Dec 7, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Detroit Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff reacts during the second half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
The Pistons are not a fluke
This team is not a flash in the pan. The Detroit Pistons led by MVP candidate Cade Cunningham is not a fluke.
The start to this NBA season has caught a lot of NBA fans and national media by complete surprise, but the honeymoon phase is over. The Detroit Pistons are a legit contender to represent the Eastern conference in the NBA Finals next summer. The defense is ranked No. 2 in terms of defensive rating. The Pistons rank No. 1 in points in the paint per game and No. 2 in rebounds per game. They also rank No. 2 in fouls drawn per game. They’ve mastered the paint so far this season.
Detroit plays hard defense, they’re relentless on the glass, and take efficient shots inside the paint. This is the beginning of what can be a complete championship recipe by the end of the regular season.
Detroit needs shooters
The Pistons rank No. 25 in three-point percentage and No. 27 in three-point attempts per game. They also rank No. 29 in free throw percentage. The team is drawing the second-most fouls per game while not being able to make many of them. This trend won’t hold up in the playoffs.
Detroit has the necessary assets to find a shooter or two on the trade market or the buyout market. Duncan Robinson cannot be relied on to shoot all the threes for Detroit.
Cade Cunningham and Tobias Harris should not be relied on as three-point specialists considering the other responsibilities they have on the offensive end. It’s unlikely important contributors like Ausar Thompson, Jalen Duren, Javonte Green, Jaden Ivey, Ron Holland, and others suddenly become three-point specialists by the time the playoffs start. President of Basketball Operations needs to analyze the roster before the trade deadline and make the necessary decisions.
Jalen Duren is here to stay
People are just as surprised by Jalen Duren’s leap as they are by the entire team’s leap this season. Duren is also not a fluke. The 22-year-old center won’t be a fluke for years to come because of how he plays. Duren is the anchor of this team defense and the safety net of this offense.
Duren is a rim protector and a lob threat. He’s an energetic rebounder and a extremely athletic for his size. He isn’t doing anything causing coaches to work overtime trying to figure out.
Duren’s play style will age nicely in the NBA. Duren sets screens and crashes the boards with urgency, which isn’t a quality you might expect from a 6-foot-10 and 250-pound big. He’s the main reason why Detroit leads the league in points in the paint per game.