Pistons news: Victor Wembanyama watch and the 6th win in December

The Detroit Pistons got their 6th win of the season last night, beating the Dallas Mavericks in overtime, which was important for a few reasons.

It was the official arrival of Killian Hayes, who has been playing very well of late and looks to have turned his season and possibly career around after a terrible start.

You have to give Dwane Casey part of the credit for this one, as he has stuck by Killian and kept preaching patience even when he was at his low point this season.

Getting the 6th win on December 1st is also important because the Pistons didn’t notch their 6th win last season until January 1st, so even though this season has not gone to plan with the tough schedule and all of the injuries, Detroit is still improving, which is what we wanted this season.

It’s just a shame that Cade Cunningham went out just as some guys were coming back, as Detroit has looked much more competitive since Alec Burks and Marvin Bagley III returned.

The win is a good sign for the Detroit Pistons, and shook up the standings at the bottom of the league.

Pistons news: Detroit Pistons lottery odds after the 6th win

The win over Dallas pushed the Pistons to 6-18 on the season and rearranged the lottery odds at the bottom of the NBA standings.

Detroit came into last night with the worst record in the league, but after the win, they were pushed back to 3rd-worst, though just a half game separates them from Orlando and Houston, who are currently the two worst teams by a matter of percentage points.

The San Antonio Spurs are just a game ahead of the Pistons and might pass them soon, as they have lost nine in a row and have the league’s worst defense.

Orlando has also lost six in a row, so Detroit is starting to play better just as some of the other young teams are falling apart.

As is stands, the Pistons would still have maximum odds for the overall #1 pick, with a 14 percent chance and a 52.1 percent chance to stay in the top-4 of the 2023 NBA Draft. Of course, in this position, their best odds would be to get the 6th pick and they could drop as far as 7th.

It was a big win for the confidence of Killian Hayes and the young Pistons, and they have finally pulled themselves out of the cellar, but 9 of their next 12 games will be against current playoff teams before they take on the Orlando Magic in what might be a battle for the top lottery spot, so they still have a lot of work to do to get out of the Victor Wembanyama discussion.

By the way, Wembanyama is averaging 23.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and three blocks per game while leading his team to an 8-1 record and 1st place in the standings.