The Detroit Pistons are finally heading in the right direction after years of struggling in the Eastern Conference.
With Cade Cunningham reaching stardom, the Detroit Pistons finally clinched a playoff spot during the 2024-25 NBA season.
Head coach JB Bickerstaff deserves credit for the Pistons’ bounce-back season. But the question remains, what’s next for the team?
After all, even with a 44-38 record, the Pistons were the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference last season. Anything below that would seem like a failure for the franchise.
Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty ImagesHunter Patterson predicts the Detroit Pistons can breach the top-five spot in the East
The 2025-26 NBA season will see the likes of the Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers struggle due to injury concerns.
As a result, a spot in the 2026 NBA Finals could be up for the taking for the Pistons. But that’s the ceiling; what about a realistic regular-season finish for the franchise?
“I see the Pistons finishing either fourth or fifth in the East this season. I expect both the Cleveland Cavaliers and [New York] Knicks to build on last season’s success.
“The Orlando Magic adding Desmond Bane to a core of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs gives them an edge over the Pistons in my book,” Hunter Patterson wrote for The Athletic.
These are three teams that are arguably better than the Pistons, but there’s one ‘wild card’ team, per Patterson.
“The Atlanta Hawks have crafted arguably their best roster since Trae Young’s rookie season, but so much hinges on health.
“They are one of the biggest wild cards in the East, given their productivity in retooling their roster this offseason,” the Pistons insider added.
Detroit Pistons’ success will ‘boil down’ to one factor
Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images
Predicting a 46-36 record for the Pistons, Patterson further revealed the most important factor for the team’s success next season.
“I could see the continuity Detroit has going into this season being what lifts it into the fourth or fifth spot, depending on how things work in Atlanta.
“The Pistons’ success this season will boil down to how much growth has been fostered internally,” Patterson continued.
Patterson’s ‘crystal ball’ prediction for the Pistons is indeed a top-five spot in the conference.
“If I could look into a crystal ball and see the future, I’d imagine Detroit is firmly a top-five seed in the East at the end of the 2025-26 regular season,” he concluded.
With the Pistons’ projected starting lineup, there’s a real chance of Patterson’s prediction becoming a reality, barring any season-altering injuries.