How come the Detroit Pistons only beat good NBA teams?
‘See me, hear me’ theory: Detroit Pistons players want to show their skills vs. better teams so they will trade for them
What better way to get the attention of an NBA contender than to beat them?
For the young players on the Pistons, this is the start of a journey. The plan is for them to grow and learn together (and add Cade Cunningham). The losing is not fun, but development is more important than standings for them.
However, if you are a veteran (see Rose, Derrick), you have a finite number of years remaining, and you probably would like to spend it on a team fighting for the NBA championship.
Contracts are also coming up for some players, and looking good in big upset wins gets the attention of NBA general managers, who will be looking for help in the off-season.
Wayne Ellington played great against the 76ers and Lakers. Blake Griffin had his best game of the season in the Lakers win. Delon Wright played well in wins over the Nets and Celtics. Mason Plumlee stood out against the Suns and Nets.
We are not saying those players do not try hard against the other teams. But, when you are on a team with a bad record, you want to show, hey, I can play as well, if not better, than the guy in my position on the elite team.
Somewhere down the road, you may want a Daryl Morey or Danny Ainge to have a positive memory of going against you.
Unprepared theory: With so little practice, anything can happen
To have the season run from late December to mid-July and get in a 72-game schedule and full playoffs, teams had truncated training camps and little time for practice between games.
The thought of holding an All-Star game has not gone over well with many tired players.
Teams have no time to practice, no time to prepare and players are tired or getting injured more. How many times has a team, a third into the schedule, have had all 15 players healthy and ready to go.
Also, not the Pistons but other teams, have had to play due to COVD-19 contact tracing, with eight or nine players. That really wears the body out, while those not playing get out of shape.
In this crazy season, even the top teams are not 100-percent healthy or prepared for every game. The Pistons, on the other hand, are fired up to face one of the NBA’s top dogs.
Detroit has been relatively unscathed by virus protocol delays, only two games, so far (Denver and Wizards) need to be made up. Also, except for Killian Hayes, none of its main players has suffered a long-term injury.
For what they are, the Detroit Pistons are ready to do battle every game. The top teams in the NBA? Maybe not.
Next. Analyzing Dennis Smith Jr.’s debut with Detroit Pistons. dark
The schedule has also not been kind to the Pistons. They have had the toughest schedule in the NBA _ by far. They have not played the Washington Wizards yet and the Timberwolves once (and that was the opener).
The simplest explanation for Detroit’s success is that, with this schedule, they basically only play good teams, so, if they do win, it will be against someone with a better record.