With the preseason set to begin, Detroit Pistons basketball is officially back.
Last season proved that the Pistons could be fun again and it’s safe to say the party is only getting started. This offseason brought even more to be excited about, with winning the draft lottery and selecting Cade Cunningham first overall at the top of that list.
Now it’s time to see it play out on the court. We got a taste of it during the summer league with Cunningham playing alongside Killian Hayes and Saddiq Bey, but nothing quite stacks up to real NBA action.
That action is going to come quick. Looking just past the preseason, the Pistons will have 16 games versus last year’s playoff teams in their first 22 games. This stacks up to a brutally tough first few months, including a big stretch against the top contenders in the East.
Pistons fans wouldn’t want it any other way. Building upon last season, we are just happy that Detroit basketball is fun again.
So buy your tickets, order your jerseys, and turn on your TV because the regular season is just a few weeks away. Here are five games to circle for the first half of the season.
October 20: Detroit Pistons vs. Chicago Bulls
This is a no-brainer. The first game of the regular season and the home opener. More importantly, the first regular season game for Cade Cunningham in a Detroit Pistons uniform. Hopefully he wastes no time getting his first bucket.
Something else to watch for is the starting lineup Dwayne Casey rolls out for the first game. Will it feature both Cunningham and Hayes in the backcourt? Will the Detroit Pistons embrace youth and start both Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart?
The matchup with the Bulls also is an interesting look at a team that should be fighting for a playoff spot, possibly even a play-in spot. The Bulls acquired Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan this offseason to go along with Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, so we know they have talent.
The Pistons will get to gauge pretty quickly how they stack up against other middle of the pack teams in the East. This is also a major test for the team’s young backcourt, but Cunningham and Hayes should be up to it.