Detroit Pistons have big test ahead in month of December

DETROIT, MI - OCTOBER 8: a general view of the Detroit Pistons logo during the game against the Brooklyn Nets during a pre-season game on October 8, 2018 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI - OCTOBER 8: a general view of the Detroit Pistons logo during the game against the Brooklyn Nets during a pre-season game on October 8, 2018 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Detroit Pistons have a tough 15-game stretch coming up in the month of December. This will show us who this team truly is.

The big conversation around the Detroit Pistons has been whether or not this team is for real. They started the season by winning their first four games.

However, none of those games were particularly impressive wins. The Pistons did beat the Philadelphia 76ers in overtime because of a 50-point performance by Blake Griffin.

The Sixers were without star point guard Ben Simmons in that game. Their other three wins were against the Brooklyn Nets, the Chicago Bulls, and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Those three wins were by a combined 12 points. Cleveland, Chicago, and Brooklyn have a combined record of 13-36  this season.

light. Related Story. Detroit Pistons cruise past Cleveland Cavaliers at home

The Pistons also have a couple of wins against the Orlando Magic and the Atlanta Hawks.

Realistically, the only valuable wins they have are against Philadelphia and their last-second buzzer beater against the Toronto Raptors.

However, I think it’s fair to point out that we haven’t watched this team play their best basketball yet. They show flashes of being a good team and then they also play very bad at times.

Guys who have been good shooters in previous seasons aren’t shooting particularly well right now. Reggie Jackson isn’t playing as well as we’ve seen him play in the past.

The Pistons are approaching the end of November and have five games left before the calendar flips to December.

They have a back-to-back with the Houston Rockets and then a home game against the Phoenix Suns. The Rockets are struggling right now. They’re just 8-7 this season.

The Suns are currently 3-13 this season.

They play the Knicks and the Bulls to close out November, two teams at the bottom of the eastern conference.

The Pistons will have to take advantage of these games before going into December. The road definitely gets much more difficult.

Here’s a look at the month of December for the Detroit Pistons:

  • Dec. 1 vs. Golden State Warriors

  • Dec. 3 vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

  • Dec. 5 @ Milwaukee Bucks

  • Dec. 7 vs. Philadelphia 76ers

  • Dec. 9 vs. New Orleans Pelicans

  • Dec. 10 @ Philadelphia 76ers

  • Dec. 12 @ Charlotte Hornets

  • Dec. 15 vs. Boston Celtics

  • Dec. 17 vs. Milwaukee Bucks

  • Dec. 19 @ Minnesota Timberwolves

  • Dec. 21 @ Charlotte Hornets

  • Dec. 23 vs. Atlanta Hawks

  • Dec. 26 vs. Washington Wizards

  • Dec. 28 @ Indiana Pacers

  • Dec. 30 @ Orlando Magic

Ten of those 15 games are against teams that have a record above the .500 mark. This stretch of games is going to really show us who the Detroit Pistons are this season.

As of right now, I see four games that I confidently feel like they can win.

They see the Sixers twice in that period of time. Those will be games to highlight during the month as must-see TV. Round’s three and four of Andre Drummond vs. Joel Embiid should be entertaining.

They’ve already lost to the Charlotte Hornets who come up twice in that 14-game stretch. They’ve also lost to the Boston Celtics twice who are in that schedule of games.

The Milwaukee Bucks are a team the Pistons played tough last season. They split their four games with them. However, the Bucks look like a team that has improved drastically since last season.

They’re currently 12-4 which has a lot to do with their offensive production. The Bucks are first in the league in three-point attempts made, fourth in field goal percentage and sixth in points per game.

And start this walk through hell, it starts with the defending champions! Yes, on December 1 the Golden State Warriors come to Little Caesar’s Arena.

If the Detroit Pistons make it through this stretch of games at 7-8 and win four of their last five games in November, which is doable, they will have a record of 19-16 heading into January.

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That’s being optimistic right now. We’ll see how Dwane Casey and the boys weather adversity.