The Detroit Pistons lost a heartbreaking series against the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs last year, but they may actually benefit tremendously from that outcome. Veteran journalist and podcaster Zach Lowe recently mentioned that he thinks the “physicality” of that series will benefit the entire Pistons team in the long run, and there are also many other lessons the young team can take from their playoff return.
The Detroit Pistons will use these lessons to get to the next level
First of all, the physicality. New York regularly ranks among the top rebounding teams in the playoffs, both in terms of overall rebounds and especially offensive rebounds. With frequent double-big lineups and a menace in Josh Hart, the Knicks love to beat up opponents on the glass.
The referees also let the teams play without calling many fouls in this series and it was a completely different game from the regular season in that regard. The Pistons embraced that physicality and actually won the overall and offensive rebounding battles, which New York did not lose in either of their other two series. Jalen Duren in particular was a beast on the boards.
The Knicks also provided a perfect stage for the Pistons’ playoff coming-out party. Madison Square Garden is arguably the world’s most famous basketball arena, and the Pistons did not shy from the big lights there. In fact, they split the games in New York 2-2 over the series. Exposure to such a high-pressure in their first-ever playoff series will prepare the young core for anything in the postseason going forward.
There were key moments in the series that should strengthen the team’s resolve. The first is the infamous no-call on Josh Hart defending a Tim Hardaway Jr. three-pointer in the final moments of game four. With the Pistons trailing by one, many fans felt that the refs had robbed the team of a win with this officiating mistake. Hopefully, the team’s takeaway from this incident is to not let the refs decide the game and get a bucket outright in that scenario.
The other key moments of the series were at the end of the final game. In the waning seconds, Clutch Player of the Year Jalen Brunson hit Ausar Thompson with a wicked crossover to get free and drain a three to break a tie. On the next possession, Cade Cunningham kicked it to a wide-open Malik Beasley with an open look to tie the game but he dropped the pass and the series was over. Such a tragic series of events is something that can break a mentally weak team, but can also serve to harden the wills of men who will one day compete for a championship.
Every young team has to take its playoff lumps before breaking through, ask the OKC Thunder, but these lessons should prove valuable as the Pistons try to get deeper into the playoffs next year.