If the Detroit Pistons want to get to the next level in the Eastern Conference, they have to start beating the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Pistons' schedule was released today and there was an interesting timeline for their games against Milwaukee.
The Bucks have been stomping Detroit for the entirety of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s career, with the Greek Freak getting fat playing mostly terrible Pistons teams.
The Pistons got beaten up by the teams in the Central Division last season, with just a 2-10 record against the Bucks, Pacers and Cavaliers, numbers that will have to improve if they want to move up in the standings.
The Pistons are being predicted as a top-four team by some optimistic pundits, but before that can happen, they need to start beating big brother once in a while, and they will get three chances in two weeks next season.
Detroit Pistons schedule: Two weeks to prove themselves against the Bucks
The Pistons are just 7-31 against the Bucks over the last 10 seasons and have only beaten them once in 11 games with Cade Cunningham.
Considering the Pistons play the tough teams in their division four teams each, beating them will be necessary for Detroit to grab a top-four spot, which should be the goal for next season.
The Pistons will play in Milwaukee on November 22nd again on December 3rd. The Pistons have only beaten the Bucks in Milwaukee twice in 10 seasons.
They will then turn around and play the Bucks in Detroit on December 6th, just three days later. The two teams won’t meet again until April in a nationally televised game towards the end of the season, so if the Pistons can’t take care of business in late November and early December, they’ll have to wait for spring to get another chance.
The Bucks are a bit of a mystery, as they have subtracted Dame Lillard but added Myles Turner. They didn’t do much else, so there are question marks in Milwaukee, but as long as they have Giannis, they will be tough to beat.
This is pride-check time for the Pistons, who have to prove they are no longer the little brother in the division everyone gets to trounce for easy wins.
The Pistons lost all four games to the Bucks last season, though three of them were close. But close won’t be good enough if Detroit wants to join the elite of the Eastern Conference. They have to start beating the teams in their time zone.