Even though the Pistons had a surprising season, they were a disaster against the teams in their own division.
For the Detroit Pistons to progress in the standings, they will have to beat the teams in the Central Division and they are on their way after a having a solid (not spectacular) offseason while two rivals may have taken steps back.
The Central was the strongest division in the Eastern Conference last season, with four teams finishing in the top six.
Detroit finished 6th just behind Milwaukee (5), Indiana (4) and Cleveland (1) in the standings, so the Pistons don’t have to look far to see the teams they need to beat to climb the ladder.
Even though Detroit finished behind these teams in the standings last season, Bleacher Report still had them ahead of both the Bucks and Pacers in their recent power rankings. The Pistons were 12th with the Bucks and Pacers ranked 16th and 19th, respectively. Cleveland landed at 5th, the only team in the East in the top five.
Offseason power rankings are nice, but the Pistons still have plenty of questions and a lot to prove against the gatekeepers of their division.
Detroit Pistons have to compete in the Central to progress in the standings
The Pistons were 2-10 combined against the Cavs, Pacers and Bucks last season, which was a disaster that thankfully didn't keep them out of the playoffs
With 11 of their 23 conference losses coming against their own division (they also lost one to the Bulls), it’s the area with the most opportunity for improvement for the Pistons.
Detroit will be working Jaden Ivey back into the lineup, which might be the biggest X-Factor in their growth, and they’ll also be adding new faces in Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert, so it’s too early to pencil them in for 50 wins and a top four seed in the East.
Detroit has been dominated by these teams in recent years, particularly Milwaukee, who has crushed the Pistons for the entirety of Giannis’ career. They have to knock the Bucks off to make it to the next level.
The Bucks have questionable depth, but they still have Giannis. Indiana should be less of a threat with Myles Turner gone (to the Bucks) and Tyrese Haliburton out for the season, but they will still compete and still have All-Star talent.
There is no reason Cleveland won’t be just as good or better than last season, so power rankings don’t change the challenge the Pistons have in front of them when it comes to division opponents, and if Detroit wants to be a top team in the East, they will have to have a better record against the Central.