Most fans of the Detroit Pistons would name the Indiana Pacers as the most hated division rival, but now that the Bucks have landed Cole Anthony and Myles Turner, that focus will shift to Milwaukee.
The Central Division figures to be the best and most heated in the Eastern Conference next season, with four teams expected to compete for playoff spots and the 5th, the Chicago Bulls, lingering on the fringes.
With the Cavaliers, Bucks, Pacers and Pistons, you have four of the top teams in the East, and at least three of them figure to be right back near the top of the conference next season. The Pacers will be without Tyrese Haliburton, but you still can’t count them out, as they were a deep team that was a game away from the NBA Finals this season.
But with the Pacers potentially backsliding, the Pistons’ focus will shift to the Cavaliers and Bucks, and Milwaukee in particular could end up being next year’s fiercest rivalry.
Detroit Pistons news: Cole Anthony will turn rivalry up a notch
It’s hard to say that the Pistons have really had a rivalry with the Bucks, as Milwaukee has completely dominated Detroit since Giannis Antetokounmpo entered the league.
In the last 12 seasons, the Pistons are 11-35 against the Bucks, easily the worst record against any division foe.
Detroit is on the come up, but they were still 0-4 against the Bucks last season, and they can’t advance to the next stage of their development until they start beating Milwaukee regularly.
All young teams have a bully to vanquish before they can truly be good, and the Bucks are that team for the Pistons.
To add fuel to that fire, the Bucks recently acquired Cole Anthony, who is still villain #1 in Detroit after he broke Jaden Ivey’s leg wildly diving for a loose ball last season.
It was an accident, but plenty of fans have pointed to the fact that Anthony tends to have these “accidents” as he’s been a repeat offender of diving at opponent’s legs, which is the easiest way to suffer an injury.
They also signed Myles Turner, a former Pacer who also had beef with the Pistons last season.
Fans won’t forget that, especially now that both guys are playing for Milwaukee, a team the Pistons will have to face four times next season.
Detroit is ready to prove they are the team to beat in the Central Division, and I can guarantee they’ll be amped up for all of the games against Milwaukee.