Detroit Pistons schedule: Toughest stretches and dates to circle

The Detroit Pistons schedule has three really tough stretches

The Pistons schedule is brutal in the first half of the season but lightens up a bit through in the second half before finishing on another tough stretch.

The Pistons won’t have to wait long, as the first nine games of their schedule are against some of the best teams in the East.

They will play the Bulls twice, the Hawks, the 76ers twice, the Nets twice and finish with the Bucks. They play the Magic in the middle of that, which will be the only game where they are not underdogs. It’s possible that the Pistons will be 1-8 on November 5th, so fans are going to have to be patient as this young team tries to gel.

The next tough stretch is an 8-game stint between November 20 and December 21 when the Detroit Pistons will play the Warriors, Lakers twice, the Heat, Bucks, Clippers, Trail Blazers and finally on the road against the Suns.  The last four games of this part of the schedule are on the road, so it’s going to be tough for the Pistons to win more than a couple of these.

And if the Pistons’ dreams of making the playoffs aren’t crushed by then, the final 11 games of the season come along to stamp out remaining hope.

This stretch goes from March 21st-April 10th and includes games against the Trail Blazers, Hawks, Wizards, Knicks, Nets, 76ers, Thunder, Pacers, Mavs, Bucks and finishes on the road against the 76ers.

There might not be more than 2-3 wins in that group of 11 games, so it is going to be tough for the Pistons to finish strong. These three stretches will likely determine how successful this season is, but there are plenty of other games to circle on your calendar.