The Detroit Pistons have been in cruise control in the Eastern Conference right from the get go and with weeks until the playoffs, they\u2019re first in the standings with a 49-19 record. Their goal? Bring a championship back to the Motor City and Cade Cunningham will undoubtedly play the role of the protagonist. The question is: if he fails, who steps up?<\/p>\n
Whether Detroit can perform just as well in the post-season as they have in the regular season is doubtful. Last year, they were on fire heading into their playoff bout against the New York Knicks, and even took them to six games, but they couldn\u2019t get over the finish line. This team has potential but lacks experience.<\/p>\n
Some analyst are reminding the East that the Pistons are not some unbeatable juggernaut, but a team with flaws. TSN\u2019s Sam Mitchell even went as far as to claim that the team his network covers heavily, the Toronto Raptors, are a stronger unit despite being fifth with a 38-29 record. To him, they\u2019re all about Cunningham<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Toronto Raptors may have more talent than the Detroit Pistons overall. Other than Cade Cunningham. You think about Cade Cunningham, who\u2019s their second best player? Look at the Raptors. You got Scottie Barnes and BI. Those are your 2 best players,\u201d began Mitchell.<\/p>\n \u201cYou look at the Center position. Jakob P\u00f6ltl and Duren? About the same.\u201d<\/p>\n Sam Mitchell says the Toronto Raptors may have more talent than the 1st-seeded Detroit Pistons, overall :<\/p>\n \u201cYou think about Cade Cunningham, who\u2019s their second best player?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLook at the Raptors. You got Scottie Barnes and BI. Those are your 2 best players.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou look at the\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/zzr39iikJR<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Omer Osman (@OmerOsman200) March 18, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Mitchell may have been looking at the future. Toronto<\/a> did beat Detroit this past Sunday 119-108 and looked to be in control for most of the contest. It wasn\u2019t a spoiler for what\u2019s to come later this season, of course, but losing to playoff rivals in the business end of the regular season is something they\u2019d like the avoid.<\/p>\n \u201cSo if you look at this Raptors team, and you look at what players have accomplished that\u2019s on the Raptors, you can make an argument the Raptors may be a better team, as far as talent, than Detroit,\u201d added Mitchell. \u201cThey may not be a good playoff team.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n That\u2019s arguably the Pistons\u2019 biggest fear. But it also doesn\u2019t mean that they will back down without a fight.<\/p>\n Since losing to the Knicks in the playoffs last year, the Pistons have played them three times in the 25-26 season, and won all three<\/a>. So, who is to say they don\u2019t learn from their recent defeat to the Raptors and come back stronger?<\/p>\n Now it comes down to whether they can do it when the lights are brightest. Cunningham looks ready for that moment, averaging 24.5 points a game, but the rest of the roster has to prove it alongside him. If they do, this whole conversation disappears real quick. And if not, well, the noise is only going to get louder.<\/p>\n