The Pistons have retained their hold atop the East and the NBA has rewarded them at long last with the top spot in this week's power rankings. For the first time all season, the defending champion Thunder fall to the #2 spot as the Pistons take over #1. Even as other top teams have struggled recently, the Pistons have remained steady in their excellence.
Even the NBA can't deny the Pistons' greatness any longer
As the NBA.com power rankings emphasized, the Pistons' success comes from their defense and superstar Cade Cunningham. Cade hasn't been at his best offensively in recent games as he's nursed a wrist injury, but is still making a winning impact. Adding more firepower to the roster can make the team even better, but they are finding ways to win regardless.
Amidst all the trade rumors and concerns about the Pistons' shooting, it can be easy to forget that they're playing the best basketball out of anyone in the NBA. Since the beginning of December, the Pistons have the best record in the league at an impressive 17-7. This has included crucial victories against Eastern Confernce rivals in the Knicks and Celtics.
Even the Thunder have fallen back down to earth in that time after starting the season at a historic rate. They've been 17-9 in the same span, and now sit 2.5 games ahead of the Pistons in the overall league standings. The Thunder are only one game ahead of the Pistons in the loss column, but have won a few more due to schedule oddities.
As the Pistons take the mantle of being arguably the NBA's best team, the leadership of Cade Cunningham and head coach JB Bickerstaff cannot be overstated. The two have helped turn Detroit around from a historic losing streak to their current 33-11 record in less than two seasons. Cade's commitment to dominating on both ends despite his high offensive workload has separated him from other superstars and fueled the Pistons' success.
Even when the Pistons offense has been bogged down in the halfcourt, they can count on their defense to energize the team by getting stops and forcing turnovers. The Pistons rank second this season in defensive rating, and have even climbed up to second in net ratings after a few recent blowout wins.
They have technically had one of the league's easiest schedules so far (helped in part because they don't play themselves) but their biggest tests will be coming up. The Pistons' next game is in Denver, where they will face a top-three West team for the first time all season. Still, the Pistons have the best record against winning teams this season at 14-6. They've checked all the boxes and are now rightfully receiving their recognition as the best team in the NBA.