The Detroit Pistons have 14 games remaining to try and secure their first playoff appearance since the 2018-19 season.
A pandemic, two coaches and a new front office later and the Pistons are in much better shape than they were back then, when a hobbled Blake Griffin carried a mediocre and aging roster to a first-round sweep.
This year’s Pistons have been the story of the NBA, rising from the depths of the Eastern Conference to the 6th seed in just one season.
But the playoffs aren’t a certainty yet, and the Pistons still have some obstacles standing in their way if they want to hold on and get there.
The Detroit Pistons vs. The refs
I thought the officiating in the loss vs. OKC was shameful, as the refs continually missed blatant calls (both ways) and had some of the most ridiculous calls overturned via challenge, including when they reviewed Isaiah Stewart for a "hostile act" only to discover he wasn't even involved in the play and the Thunder player had slipped on his own teammate. They just saw Beef Stew near a player who had fallen and leapt to HOSTILE ACT without evidence. This reeks of someone who cam into the game with an agenda.
The frustration eventually got to Cade Cunningham after the ref botched a free-throw formation (come on, Brian Forte) and he picked up two rapid T’s for pointing it out, probably using some colorful language.
I don’t spend much time talking about the refs, because unlike most NBA fans, I think they do a pretty good job most nights and there are more good ones than bad. Many would disagree with me, but generally speaking, bad calls aren’t what cost teams games.
But the Pistons have been butting heads with the officials all season, whether it is Isaiah Stewart (who is three technicals away from a suspension), coach JB Bickerstaff, who leads all coaches in technical fouls or superstar Cade Cunningham, who barks at the officials every time he doesn’t get a call, which is often.
The Pistons continually cost themselves points via technical free-throws, including against OKC, which basically cost them the game. Yes, the refs were horrible, but the Pistons need to be better about picking their spots to complain and can’t pick up silly T’s at inopportune moments.
Fair or not, the Pistons have a reputation at this point and need to be smart about how they deal with the refs down the stretch.
The Pistons schedule
Detroit will also have to overcome a tough finishing schedule that mostly features teams that are above .500 and playing well.
That means they can’t lose against the Pelicans, Heat, Spurs or Raptors, as every other team they have left on the schedule is good.
The season finishes with a strange quirk, which is that the Pistons will play the Bucks two games in a row, something we’ve seen more of the last few seasons as the NBA tries to limit travel days.
It’s not easy to beat a team two games in a row, and the Pistons have gotten smoked by the Bucks pretty much every game for a decade, so they have to have a cushion heading into those final two games.
If the Pistons make the playoffs, they will have earned it over these last few weeks, which have truly been Detroit vs. Everybody, including the refs and themselves.