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The Detroit Pistons have been one of the greatest turnaround stories in sports. In a span of two seasons, Cade Cunningham turned a 14-win squad into the top seed in the Eastern Conference. They are heading to the NBA Playoffs with 60 wins. Obviously, Jalen Duren and Coach J.B. Bickerstaff were also big reasons for their success. However, there is one former Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks that helped them get this far — Jarrett Jack.
How former Knicks, Warriors guard Jack helped Pistons
Jarrett Jack knows a thing or two about the NBA Playoffs. He played alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in the Warriors system back in the 2013 NBA Playoffs. In that postseason, Jack delivered insane performances which helped him average 17.2 in a 12-game stretch. He then proceeded to become an NBA journeyman after that and played 13 years in the league with eight teams.
A few years later, Jack became an assistant coach who first started out with the Phoenix Suns before landing with the Pistons. He has worked with Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren since their 14-win season back in 2023-24 so there was familiarity.
In fact, Jack was the first person to know that Cunningham wanted the Pistons to turn things around and start competing in the NBA Playoffs. The Pistons assistant coach revealed the message which would alter their team's history, via Hunter Patterson of The Athletic.
"I was at the gas station when he texted me. He was like, ‘Yo, man. This is basketball. I have to be a part of this.’ That probably sounds crazy to someone who’s thinking, ‘This is where your mind is after winning 14 games?’ I wrote him back and I was like, ‘Man, it looks fun, doesn’t it?' High-stakes basketball. Everybody’s eyes are on you. This is where guys start to create their story, their legacy. It’s very much attainable," Jack revealed.
Since that night, Cunningham got to work and ensured that the Pistons would be competitive enough to reach the NBA Playoffs. In 2024-25, they got the sixth seed and notched 44 wins. Unfortunately, their postseason was cut short after falling short to the Knicks, one of Jack's former teams, in the first round. Cunningham and Duren's resolve then got stronger. Now, they are entering the NBA Playoffs with 60 wins which is the third-best regular season record in Pistons history.
"My one question to him was, ‘Now, what’s required?’ Because with any goal, there are requirements attached to it," the Pistons assistant coach added.
Deep down, Cunningham knew what was require for him, Duren, and the rest of the Pistons. Jack has remained a steady hand in helping them reach their goals in the NBA Playoffs and beyond. Who would have known? A former journeyman from the Knicks and Warriors would be the first to know then spark a change in the Pistons system.
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