The Detroit Pistons are entering the 2021-22 NBA season as one of the most intriguing teams in the NBA. With one of the league’s youngest rosters, including first overall pick Cade Cunningham, the Pistons are expected to make serious strides in their restoration this upcoming season.
While the team will be moving in the right direction in 2021-22, that may not necessarily result in a lot of winning. Despite a much-improved roster, Detroit still faces an uphill battle to reach the NBA Playoffs, let alone the play-in tournament.
Detroit may have improved their roster over the offseason, but so did many other teams in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons will be competitive, and win some hard-fought games this season, but, ultimately, their efforts to push into the playoff picture are likely to come up short.
Detroit may fall short of the post-season, but they are sure to make a push. The team will be competitive throughout the season, and with their young core continuing to develop, 2021-22 will be an exciting year for Pistons fans no matter the record.
But some games will be more exciting than others.
Here are three matchups that will be must-watch NBA games for Detroit Pistons fans this season
Detroit Pistons vs Chicago Bulls: October 20th
Of course the Pistons season opener is going to be a must-watch game. This will be a good litmus test for Detroit as well, to see how the season will fare.
The game promises to be an exciting matchup.
Pistons fans will see Cade Cunningham in the first regular-season start of his career, Jerami Grant will be looking to continue building off of his breakout season the year prior, and, of course, Stanley Johnson will be making his return to Detroit as a member of the Bulls to remind fans of past draft mistakes.
The Chicago Bulls revitalized their roster over the offseason. Lonzo Ball, DeMar Derozan and Alex Caruso join a Bulls squad filled with offensive talents like Zach Lavine and Nikola Vučević. Second-year prospect Patrick Williams is sure to make an impact for Chicago as well.
While this Bulls team has its eyes set on the postseason, they are not in the upper echelon of Eastern Conference teams, who are practically guaranteed a playoff berth. No, Chicago will have to fight their way into the NBA playoffs just like Detroit hopes to do.
If the Pistons are able to play well and defeat the Bulls, it could bode well for their playoff hopes this upcoming season. If they struggle and lose by a large margin, it could be a sign that Detroit simply is not ready to compete for a playoff spot quite yet.