The Pistons have gone on a tear recently and now find themselves atop the Eastern Conference standings. It hasn't been a perfect start to the season from an injury perspective, but the Pistons are winning games behind their available young stars. The Pistons' place in the standings might not be permanent, but it does show they are a real threat in the conference.
The Pistons need to keep their momentum going
While the Pistons' schedule recently has been weak, they also have some very solid wins so far. Their very first win of the season was on the road against a tough Houston team that is now looking like a proper championship contender. And their trouncing of the Orlando Magic, another playoff contender in the East, established their status in the conference hierarchy.
The Pistons are winning with defense first and dominating the paint. They lead the entire NBA in points in the paint, and over half their total points come there. Not only has Jalen Duren been a monster scoring at the rim, but the Pistons have also been able to double up with Isaiah Stewart sharing the court.
Arguably the most exciting part of this development in the standings is the potential that still hasn't been touched. The Pistons are still missing one of their top scorers in Jaden Ivey, who can elevate the offense to another level. Although the Pistons have scored a ton of points inside and on the fastbreak, it still takes a lot of work to get good looks in the halfcourt. Ivey's return can bring another shooter and ball handler to improve the offensive flow.
The East's preseason favorites have looked a lot more vulnerable than expected. Both the Knicks and Cavaliers have already had 3 losses each, including some bad intraconference ones. So far, it's clear that there are no unstoppable juggernauts in the East. The conference is open for the taking and the Pistons have the opportunity to make a deep playoff run.
If the Pistons can maintain their recent level of play for the rest of this month, they can capture pole position in the East entering a pivotal part of the season. Some teams are still figuring out their roster, but the Pistons have definitely found a winning formula. They should only get better as the season progresses and they hopefully get healthier.
The Pistons' strong defense and interior dominance gives them a high floor which will win a lot of regular season games. Across the course of a long season, their relentless physicality and energy will wear opponents down and lead to some easy wins. The Pistons now have their eyes set on home court advantage after the best start to a season in over 15 years.