The Detroit Pistons will either play the Indiana Pacers or New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs.
We’ve talked about some of the challenging matchups for them in the first round, but the Pistons will also present challenges of their own.
The Pistons are a physical team and play hard on defense, so aren’t going to be a fun task for anyone even though Detroit will certainly be the underdog in the opening round.
Most of the Pistons players have never been in the playoffs, and being the new kids in the mix will come with its share of challenges, but also some advantages.
The Pistons will have the best player
This one is debatable, but Cade Cunningham will be the best player in the series against either the Knicks or the Pacers. Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and definitely Tyrese Haliburton would disagree with that assessment, but in my completely biased opinion, Cunningham is the top player.
Either way, the Pistons will have one of the best players in the series and a guy who can take over and win you a game if he’s playing well.
The Pistons won’t have the best starting five or the best bench but having the best player (or one of them) always gives you a puncher’s chance. Cunningham went off in the Pistons’ last win in Madison Square Garden and has thrived on the big stage this year, so just having him healthy (knock, knock, knock) gives Detroit a chance.
The Pistons have nothing to lose
The Pistons aren’t supposed to be where they are right now and regardless of what happens, their season has been a huge success.
They enter the playoffs with no expectations and no pressure compared to teams like the Knicks and Bucks, whose fans would be devastated by an early exit in the playoffs.
Detroit can play loose, as they are playing with house money at this point and have nothing to lose. Given that the Pacers and Knicks were playoff teams last year and expected to be here and to advance, they will have far more pressure to win than Detroit.
The Pistons have a bunch of X-Factor guys
Every team Detroit plays will make stopping Cade Cunningham their focus, but what about after that?
Guys like Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr have shown they can get hot and win you a game on a given night, and if opponents are going to constantly double-team Cade, these two will get open shots.
Beasley has been in a slump, but don’t be shocked if he blows up in one of these games and hits 8-9 from 3-point range.
Players like Ausar Thompson, Ron Holland II and even Simone Fontecchio are tough to gameplan for, as they aren’t a huge part of the offensive attack but tend to find ways to impact the game.
Thompson and Holland are almost certainly going to be left open for shots and will be dared to shoot the ball. What if one of them gets hot? What if they are able to attack the rim?
What if Jaden Ivey comes back?
The point is that after Cade it’s a big mystery for the Pistons, as it has been someone different almost every night, making them a tough team to plan for beyond stopping Cade.