Detroit Pistons’ schedule: Where is the next win coming from?

The Detroit Pistons were eviscerated by the Mavericks in their last game, and with Cade Cunningham still questionable tonight, we can probably expect the same vs. the Grizzlies.

The Pistons have now lost five in a row and have dropped below Orlando for the worst record in the NBA. If the Pistons finish with the worst record, they will be guaranteed a top-5 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, but right now they aren’t tanking, they are just bad.

The Pistons haven’t won since Jerami Grant returned and Cunningham went out, and have lost 9-of-10 overall, which is disappointing after they had started to show some signs of playing well in January.

I was hoping the Pistons would pile up some victories and carry momentum into the offseason, when they can possibly sign an impact free agent that wants to join an up and coming team.

Instead, we are staring down the third abysmal season in a row, and it’s unclear when the next win is coming.

Detroit Pistons’ schedule: Where is the next win?

If you take a look at the Pistons’ schedule, it’s hard to imagine a win coming in February, though you never know with this team, as several of their wins have come against teams they weren’t supposed to beat.

Here’s are the upcoming games:

• February 10th vs. Grizzlies: One of the best teams in the NBA, likely to be a blowout
• February 11th vs. Hornets: Charlotte is struggling but Detroit will be on the second game of a back-to-back and the Hornets won’t
• February 14th @ Wizards: Washington is struggling as well and Beal is out for the season, so this might be the Pistons’ best chance coming up, though it is on the road, where Detroit is awful
• February 16th @ Celtics: Boston is red-hot at the moment and very good at home
• February 24th vs. Cavaliers: Cleveland will be looking for revenge for the Pistons comeback win
• February 26th vs. Celtics: Better chance at home vs. Boston but Detroit will still be underdogs
• February 27th @ Hornets: Look! Another game against Charlotte on the end of a back-to-back
• March 1st @ Wizards: Who knows what Washington will look like by then
• March 3rd @ Raptors: The Pistons have owned Toronto so this is their best chance for a win so far
• March 4th vs. Pacers: At home vs. the Pacers, which is the only game they might be favored

If you are counting, that is nine games in a row where the Detroit Pistons will definitely be underdogs. I am not saying they won’t win some of those games, but most of the teams they are playing are in the hunt for the playoffs, so it’s easy to see the path towards a 14-game losing streak before that home matchup vs. the Pacers.

I didn’t expect the Pistons to be good this season, but I did expect progress and it’s now looking like an uphill climb just to get to 20 wins.

They could start playing well again once Cade Cunningham returns, but I think the tank community is going to have plenty of reason to be excited.