At the quarter point of the season, the Detroit Pistons are the number one team in the Eastern Conference in recent power rankings, which most people did not see coming.
Preseason predictions had the Pistons making a moderate step forward, but few expected them to be atop the East after 24 games. They’ve done it even though they’ve had a slew of injuries and have not shot the ball well, so we haven’t seen close to the best of the Pistons yet, which is a great sign.
Bobby Marks recently named his top five teams in the Eastern Conference and after the Pistons, there are more surprises and question marks. The great news is that the Pistons have some kind of advantage over almost all of them.
The New York Knicks aren't road tested
One of the real advantages the Pistons have against other playoff contenders in the East is that they are equally good on the road. The Pistons are 10-2 at home and 8-3 on the road after finishing last season with identical home and away records.
That’s not the case with the Knicks so far this season, as they’ve have gotten fat in Madison Square Garden but been bad on the road. The Knicks are an impressive 13-1 in New York but just 3-6 on the road.
I expect the Knicks to be at or near the top of the East by the end of the season, but they’ve played a lot of home games so far and haven’t been tested much on the road.
The Boston Celtics are better than expected but have a key flaw
I knew the Celtics would be good this year even without Jayson Tatum, but they are somewhat surprising in the third spot at this point in the season.
Jaylen Brown has been amazing, and the Celtics can shoot the lights out. When they are hitting 3’s, they are tough to beat and one of the most annoying teams in the league to play, as the Pistons found out recently.
But they are 24th in defense and can’t rebound, two things that catch up to them on nights when the shots aren’t falling. I wouldn’t be shocked if the Celtics end up in the top four or five teams, and they can beat anyone on a given night, but a poor defense eventually comes back to haunt you.
The Toronto Raptors are a shocker in the 4th spot
Marks named the Raptors as his 4th-best team in the East, which is definitely a surprise. They’ve come back to Earth a bit recently, but Scottie Barnes has been great, and they come at you with depth, with six players averaging double figures.
The Raptors are top ten in defensive efficiency and top 13 in offensive efficiency, so they have a well-balanced approach.
We’ll know soon whether the Raptors are for real, as they have lost three straight and have some tough games coming up against the Knicks, Bucks, Celtics and Heat.
Are the Cavaliers still good?
Marks put the Cavs as 5th, but it’s really a toss-up here, as the 5th through the 9th seeds in the East are separated by just half a game.
The Cavs are getting the nod here because of their recent history, and they did put a smackdown on the Pistons early this season, so the Cavaliers are still good, but you do have to wonder if there is a little hangover from last season’s regular-season run.
The Cavs were the best team in the East but didn’t make it out of the second round, so may not prioritize the regular season like they did last year.
The Cavaliers have also had a ton of injuries and still haven’t had a fully healthy Darius Garland, so I wouldn’t be too worried if I were a Cleveland fan, as they are right in the mix and haven’t played their best basketball.
Of these four teams below the Pistons, I expect the Cavs to make the biggest leap, as they are too good not to, and some of these other East teams will eventually slide. But the Magic, Heat, 76ers and Hawks are also lurking, and any one of them could make a move upwards.
The East hasn’t gone to plan thus far, but the Pistons are right where they want to be and right where they expect to be when the season is over.