The Detroit Pistons got washed last night by the Nuggets, but completed a successful 3-1 Western Conference road trip overall.
It brought their road record up to 9-10, two more wins away from home than they had all of last season, with quality road wins over the 76ers, Pacers, Knicks, Suns, Lakers and Kings along the way.
But the Pistons are just 5-8 in Little Caesar’s Arena, something they can remedy in an upcoming home stand with some winnable games.
Detroit Pistons schedule
The Pistons return home for four games with a chance to balance their home record.
They’ll take on Orlando on the first day of 2025 and will catch them at a good time. The Magic have lost two straight and are just 4-6 over their last 10 games.
They’ll be missing three key players in Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Moritz Wagner, so this is a game the Pistons should win even though they have lost seven straight overall to Orlando.
They will then take on a terrible Charlotte team that has lost seven straight games and nine of their last 10.
They are also missing players, so I would categorize this as a game the Pistons absolutely have to win at home if they want to be taken seriously.
The Timberwolves then come to town and the Pistons will be underdogs in this one, as the ‘Wolves are up to 16-14 after winning two straight and six of their last 10 overall. This will be a tough matchup, but it’s not like Minnesota has been a juggernaut this season.
The final game of the homestand is against the Portland Trail Blazers, another of the West’s bottom feeders, though they have won two in a row.
Nothing is guaranteed in the NBA, but there are three winnable games on this homestand that could get the Pistons’ record in their own building closer to .500, which is where they need to be if they want to have a serious shot at the play-in tournament.
This would be a great time for a big stretch from Cade Cunningham, who has been very good at home this year, including three triple doubles.
The Pistons are currently teetering between a team that has to be taken seriously in the East and one that could drop into the bottom four with a bad stretch.
Successfully defending the home court is the sign of a good team, and if the Pistons want to be one, it starts with this four-game homestand.