Detroit Pistons: 3 teams that will be the Pistons’ biggest rivals
It’s been a long time since the Detroit Pistons were good, or even interesting, so many of their old rivalries have died out.
With so many players changing teams in the modern NBA, it’s hard to form rivalries that last. Couple that with the fact that today’s players all know each other and often grow up playing together, and the league is nothing like it was during the 1980’s and 90’s, when teams legitimately hated one another.
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The Detroit Pistons were once in the thick of some of the most heated rivalries in NBA history, with the Bad Boys era having the Celtics, Lakers and Bulls and the Goin’ to Work era battling the Indiana Pacers.
Those rivalries were legit and often led to punches being thrown, and in the case of the Pacers, full on brawls that included the fans.
We’ve not seen anything like that since, probably by design, and I don’t think we’ll ever see the types of rivalries that we used to, as the NBA and players have changed too much. I don’t miss the brawls, but I do miss rivalries, which is why I am hoping the Detroit Pistons will kick off a few new ones.
Here are three teams that could be the Pistons’ biggest rivals next season.
Detroit Pistons: The Cavaliers and Pistons are on a similar timeline
One thing that can start rivalries is the draft, especially when there is debate at the top. Cade Cunningham was the player most people thought should go number one, but there were very vocal groups behind both Jalen Green and Evan Mobley.
The Pistons and Cavaliers are not only in the same division, but both are rebuilding teams trying to claw their way out of the cellar. They will feature mostly young players who are trying to prove themselves, and since neither team is going to win many games, their battles will be heated.
Cade Cunningham is going to want to prove the Detroit Pistons were right to take him number one and I’m sure Isaiah Stewart will do his best to help him by trying to shut down Evan Mobley.
These will be fun games between two young and evenly matched teams that could evolve into a rivalry over the next several seasons.