The Detroit Pistons are finally relevant again after an unexpected renaissance that has seen them triple their win total from last season.
The Pistons are one of the best stories in the NBA this season, one that they hope ends in their first playoff berth since Blake Griffin dragged them there back in 2019.
Unlike that team, these Pistons are young and on the rise, so with the right additions, could go from playoff contender to title contender within the next couple of seasons.
They have a long way to go to stand aside the former title teams that are now legends in Detroit, the Bad Boys and Goin’ to Work squads who won championships and enjoyed long stretches of sustained success.
Whether it’s the gritty defense or the occasional fight, fans are always looking for reasons to compare the present-day Pistons to the great teams from the past.
If we’re being completely honest, this current team isn’t a title contender and just making the playoffs would be a huge accomplishment, the first step to becoming one.
But they do have some quirky similarities with both the Bad Boys and Goin’ to Work teams that I have enjoyed this season.
The Pistons have a new Microwave
One thing people often overlook about the Bad Boys teams that won two titles is their depth.
That team was stacked and had a bench that could beat a lot of team’s starters in the years they won the title.
That bench was partially led by Vinnie “Microwave” Johnson, who was called that because he was shaped like a microwave and because he was known to instantly heat up off the bench.
Malik Beasley has been that guy for the Pistons (aside from the microwave shape), as he comes into the game firing like no one we’ve ever seen. He has a chance to lead the NBA in 3-point makes off the bench, so Beasley has been more an industrial furnace that can be ignited with the flip of a switch.
All great teams need a bench guy who can come in and win a game. The Bad Boys had a couple of them and these Pistons have one in Malik Beasley, whose bench scoring helped start this turnaround.
The young guy who just keeps grinding
In many ways, Tayshaun Prince and Ron Holland II are nothing alike. Prince was already 22 years old when he joined the league, three+ years older than Holland and much more prepared to step in right away, though he didn’t become a full-time part of the rotation until his second season.
Prince also entered the league as a good shooter, while Holland’s shot was a complete work-in-progress. Prince was also quiet and laid back, while Holland is like a meercat looking around for people to fight.
But one thing they have in common is that they both carved out roles for themselves on the defensive end. Prince just kept grinding until the Pistons couldn’t keep him out of the rotation. He quietly earned a role that kept expanding and by year two, Prince was taking on the toughest assignments on the perimeter.
Holland has had a similar path this season (one year ahead of Prince) in that he’s carved out a defensive role for himself that just keeps growing as his offensive game catches up.
Neither player came onto the roster with huge expectations for immediate success, but both worked their way into the rotation through defense.
These Detroit Pistons may not be a title team yet, but they have some of the overlooked ingredients that every championship team needs.