Rivalries are what make sports great and the Detroit Pistons have had some fierce ones over the years.
When I first started watching it was the Celtics and Lakers (I still hate them both) and eventually the Detroit Pistons went head-to-head with Michael Jordan’s Bulls in one of the best rivalries in the history of the NBA.
Rivalries are a good sign for a team, as it usually means they are good enough to care about or get under the skin of rival fans.
We’ve seen a watering down of these rivalries over the years for various reasons, mostly because players move around a lot more than they used to in the past, so guys aren’t going up against the same teams and players in the playoffs every season like they were back in the day.
Players are a lot friendlier overall, as most have known each other since they were kids and spend time figuring out how to join forces rather than trying to beat the other guy.
The Detroit Pistons are an up-and-coming team hoping to establish themselves, which could lead to some rivalries this season, which would be a welcome return for those of us who remember what it was like.
Here are a few teams that could end up being rivals next season.
Detroit Pistons: The heavy hitters of the Eastern Conference
- Boston Celtics
- Milwaukee Bucks
The Pistons are hoping to climb in the Eastern Conference next season and there is a good chance that they will.
With Cade Cunningham entering his second season, and a better cast around him, the Pistons are a trendy pick to be one of the next powerhouse teams in the East.
But they aren’t there yet, which means they will have to start knocking off the teams at the top, which include the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks, two classic rivals for the Pistons.
The Pistons already played Boston tough last season and finally beat the Bucks after what seemed like years of futility. As the Pistons continue to improve, they are going to start getting under the skin of the teams that have grown accustomed to beating up on them.
I expect we’ll see some spirited games against the Celtics and Bucks next season as Cade Cunningham and the Pistons try to establish themselves in the East.
Detroit Pistons: The peer rivals
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Orlando Magic
- Houston Rockets
The Detroit Pistons will also have a few rivals that are at the same level, the cellar dwellers (or recent ones) that are also trying to be the first bad team to get good.
The Cavaliers are already there, as they at least made the play-in last season, but Cade Cunningham and Evan Mobley are always going to be rivals and compared due to their relative positions in the draft.
Same with Jalen Green and the Houston Rockets, as Green and Cunningham already have a nice individual rivalry that has spilled over to their teams.
The Orlando Magic are also a young team on the come up and will take on the Pistons in the first game of the season in a test of which young team is better.
These teams are all evenly matched and feature guys who came out of the same draft, all of whom want to prove they were the best player from what will ultimately be one of the best NBA drafts of all time.
It’s possible that all of these teams will miss the playoffs next season, but their games against each other should be close and entertaining, which will start to build the rivalries.
Detroit Pistons’ rivals: The troll in the West
- Sacramento Kings
The Kings and Pistons might be the two unlikeliest rivals in the NBA, but I expect their games will have a little extra spice on them next season for a couple of reasons.
The first is because of Keegan Murray/Jaden Ivey and the fact that they were taken 4th and 5th, respectively, in last year’s drafts.
Fans are already arguing about which one is better, which will lead to a whole lot of smack talk on social media.
But it isn’t just the fans, as Marvin Bagley III has been “debating” with troll fans of his former team, who have plenty of not-so-nice things to say about the former #2 pick.
MBIII hasn’t backed down, and you know he is going to try and put up 50+ points on his former team next season, and his teammates are sure to respond.
This is a beef that started on social media, but will definitely be played out on the court and could lead to one of the Pistons’ best (and most unlikely) rivalries of next season.