Jaden Ivey’s Pistons role has changed. Here’s how he’s handling it
Jaden Ivey spoke Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, at Detroit Pistons practice about overcoming injuries, his role change and mindset.
The Detroit Pistons have the Eastern Conference’s best record. But how do they stack up against the best of the West?
The Pistons (21-5, first in Eastern Conference) have won four straight games, and are one of only two NBA teams to have reached the 20-win mark. For comparison, the 2024-25 Pistons playoff team didn’t record its 20th win until Jan. 11, when it improved to 20-19 with a 123-114 win over the Toronto Raptors.
Now with the 24-2 Oklahoma City Thunder as the only NBA team with a better record, it would seem the Pistons currently stand as one of the three best teams in the association. And while three prominent sports websites agree with that assertion, others place the Pistons lower in their rankings, including the NBA’s own website.
Here’s where the Pistons rank on various NBA power rankings.
The USA TODAY’s Lorenzo Reyes moved the Pistons up from No. 3 to No. 2 in this week’s power rankings, highlighting the team’s defensive rating while placing them one spot ahead of the surging San Antonio Spurs.
Just like the USA TODAY, ESPN lifted the Pistons from No. 3 to No. 2 in their power rankings, with Detroit native Vincent Goodwill praising the “nasty dawgs” on defense.
“Cade Cunningham closed out Detroit’s comeback win over the Celtics in Boston on Monday night, with nine of his 32 in the final 12 minutes. He’s also quietly adding lockdown defender to his résumé – entering Monday night, opponents are shooting under 41% with him as a primary defender, best in the NBA for players with 300 field goals against. With him and then Isaiah Stewart anchoring the back line, it’s no wonder the Pistons are second in defensive rating.”
The Athletic’s Law Murray kept the Pistons at No. 3 in his rankings this week, with the Thunder (No. 1) and Denver Nuggets (No. 2). Murray notes the Pistons may want to find a roster upgrade at some point this season:
“Detroit defends at a high level and has size and depth, so naturally, the Pistons are going to be in conversations about potential talent upgrades, as there’s a tier-level talent drop-off after Cade Cunningham. [Tobias] Harris is in his 15th NBA season, he is Detroit’s No. 3 scorer, and he is in a contract year. He’s the most obvious barometer to measure Detroit’s appetite for going all in.”
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The NBA’s John Schuhmann moved the Pistons up from No. 5 to No. 4 in this week’s power rankings, noting their point differential is not as strong as their record would indicate.
CBS’s Brad Botkin moved the Pistons up one spot in his latest power ranking but still has them outside the top five. Still, he had mostly positive things to say:
“Right when Detroit’s 13-game winning streak ends with two straight losses and you think things might actually slow down, boom, they win six of their next seven. Detroit is the best defense in the league outside of OKC, which is in its own league.”
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You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.