The Detroit Pistons had a good defense last season, but they may be making the leap to elite after a strong start to this one, a trait that could be enough in a wide-open Eastern Conference.
The Pistons were 10th in defensive rating last season, so it’s not like they had far to go, but they are 5th so far in this one, and being a top-five defense is meaningful in the NBA and something JB Bickerstaff is familiar with, having led some of the league’s best defenses in his career.
The OKC Thunder held the top mark on their way to a title last season and are right back in the same place so far in this one as the league’s best defense and an undefeated record.
Like the Pistons, the Thunder aren’t a great 3-point shooting team (21st in the NBA in %, Detroit is 20th) but use their defense to get stops and easy buckets in transition.
Both teams dominate the paint, so this is a blueprint the Pistons can stick with, but they first have to prove this level of defense is sustainable.
Can the Detroit Pistons keep this up for a full season?
The Pistons have only played seven games, but there are promising signs we are seeing a sustainable leap on defense.
The Pistons are leading the NBA In blocked shots and have the best opponent’s field goal percentage at the rim, so they are getting it done in the paint.
They also have Ausar Thompson for a full season, and we saw how the defense took off when he was inserted into the starting five last year. He’s been even better so far in this one.
Cade Cunningham has clearly put more focus on his defense and is currently averaging 2.2 stocks per game, highest of his career. We’ll see if he can sustain this level, but Cade’s leap defensively has been huge this season.
Jalen Duren is also getting there defensively, blocking the most shots of his career, and with everyone from Cade to Thompson to Tobias Harris chipping in on the boards, the Pistons have been closing out most possessions.
There’s nothing about this that doesn’t look sustainable, and having an elite defense might be enough to compete in a balanced Eastern Conference that doesn’t have a true frontrunner right now.
Ultimately, the Pistons will have to be better offensively to be true contenders, but they may have one half of the equation.