The Detroit Pistons released their regular season schedule yesterday and there is plenty to talk about.
They kick off the season against the Orlando Magic in a battle of the Eastern Conference cellar dwellers from last season, but there are many interesting subplots as well.
The Pistons are hoping to climb out of the basement of the East this season, but it won’t be easy, as nearly the entire conference got better in the offseason, and the young Pistons will likely only get around 55 games to prove themselves before the inevitable veteran fire sale.
If they aren’t hovering around .500 by that point, we could see another tank job, as there is a generational prospect coming out next season and Detroit could be buried in the standings by the trade deadline anyway.
Hopefully Cade Cunningham will make a big leap, and that the additions of veterans Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel, to go along with prize rookies Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren will be enough to keep the Detroit Pistons competitive, but they still might be a year away realistically.
Here are predictions of how the Pistons schedule will go month-by-month, and whether it will be enough to get them near the play-in by the end of the season.
Detroit Pistons regular season schedule predictions
October: 3 wins, 5 losses
The Pistons will start their regular season on October 19th against the Orlando Magic, a game I think they should win.
But the league didn’t do them any favors after that, as Detroit has three back-to-backs in the first month, including games against the Warriors and then on the road against the Bucks on consecutive nights.
I predict wins against the Magic, Knicks and Wizards to start the season, but I think this is probably an optimistic prediction considering their opponents and the early back-to-backs.
November: 5 wins, 10 losses
It doesn’t get much better in November, which is arguably their toughest month. Detroit will have a stretch that features the Celtics, Knicks, Celtics, Raptors, Clippers and Lakers, three of which are on the road.
I have them winning games against the Thunder, Raptors (since Dwane Casey has owned them since leaving), Kings, Cavaliers and Knicks, but none of these are gimmes, so this month could actually be much worse.
With such a tough stretch, we’ll probably know by the end of November whether the Detroit Pistons have a chance to compete for the play-in in the East.
Detroit Pistons regular season schedule predictions
December: 3 wins, 13 losses
Ready for carnage? If November doesn’t bury the Pistons, then December just might, as this is their busiest and toughest month of the season. Detroit has a six-game stretch to start the month that includes games against the Mavericks, Grizzlies, Heat, Pelicans, Grizzlies and Lakers, three of which are on the road. All of these teams expect to be in the playoffs, so this will be a tough test for the young Pistons.
I only have them winning games against the Hornets, Kings and Magic in all of December. I hope I am wrong, but December could be the month when we all start paying close attention to Victor Wembanyama and other top draft prospects.
January: 3 wins, 10 losses
Ouch. Another tough month for Detroit, who could be a very different team by January depending on what they do with guys like Nerlens Noel, Alec Burks and Kelly Olynyk.
Just look at this 11-game stretch to start January:
- @Portland
- @Golden State
- @San Antonio
- 76ers
- @Philly
- Timberwolves
- Pelicans
- Knicks
- Bulls
- Bucks
- @Nets
Just about every team on that list (except for maybe the Spurs) fancies themselves as playoff contenders, though you never know how things might shake out.
I only have Detroit winning games against the Spurs, Knicks and Rockets for the entire month of January.
Detroit Pistons regular season schedule predictions
February: 6 wins, 5 losses
A winning month! February lightens up a bit and is the easiest month for the Detroit Pistons, as they have plenty of games against teams that are not expected to be good.
I have them winning games against the Wizards, Hornets (x2), Spurs, Magic and Raptors in February, which will probably drive the tank community nuts if the Pistons are again near the bottom of the East and battling for top position in the lottery.
March: 6 wins, 8 losses
This could be another decent month for the Pistons, as they once again face some teams that they should be able to beat and who could be tanking by that point.
I have them winning games against the Trail Blazers, Hornets (I think they could be horrible next season after their atrocious offseason), Pacers (x2), Thunder and Rockets in March.
February and March should give the Pistons a chance at a strong finish, just as they had last season, but likely won’t be enough to get them into the play-in conversation.
Detroit Pistons regular season schedule predictions
April: 2 wins, 3 losses
April will be the shortest month of the season, and by then, the Detroit Pistons will likely be well out of the play-in discussion and more in talks about who is going to get the number one pick in the draft.
I have them winning against the Magic and Pacers to end the season, with losses to the Heat, Nets, and Bulls, who will all likely be jockeying for playoff position and seeding by then, depending on whether the Nets trade Kevin Durant and the Bulls can stay healthy.
Final Record: 28 wins, 54 losses
The Detroit Pistons will definitely lose some games they should win and win some that they weren’t supposed to, but I think 28 wins is probably a fair assessment of where they will be.
This gives them five more wins than last season, a reasonable progression, especially when you consider they will actually be even younger next season than they were in this one. Of course, if everything goes to plan and the offseason additions make a big impact along with significant improvement from the young core, the Pistons could surprise some people, win a few more games than expected and end up near the play-in, so I hope my predictions are dead wrong and Detroit is battling for a playoff spot instead of lottery balls.