.jpg)
11 hours ago
1
Detroit basketball is back.
The Pistons and rising superstar Cade Cunningham have officially got next.
Their 2024-25 season ended Thursday night at the hands of the Knicks in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
But that's not what this story is about.
MORE: LeBron James makes announcement on retirement
This is about the team that overcame a generation's worth of grief to even be playing in a Game 6, and what it all means for the future.
The Pistons, before this season, hadn't won a playoff game since 2008. They hadn't made it a ton, but when they had, they had lost 15 consecutive postseason contests.
Cunningham was always meant to be the savior, the No. 1 overall pick in 2021.
But then there were records of 23-59 as a rookie, a season-ending injury in year two, then 14-68 last year.
Maybe it wasn't meant to be.
Wrong.
MORE: Big Jimmy Butler news for Game 6 vs. Rockets
This season, the Pistons went 44-38 in the regular season. Their 30-win improvement was once-in-a-generation kind of growth.
Cunningham led the charge, but he wasn't alone.
Jalen Duren became a force inside.
Malik Beasley and Tobias Harris became veterans lighting it up again.
Ausar Thompson evolved quickly into a do-everything nightmare for opposing teams.
On the sideline, J.B. Bickerstaff proved that being fired by the Cavs wouldn't hold him back. He instead led a 30-win turnaround.
Youngsters like Jaden Ivey, Ron Holland and Isaiah Stewart will be back for another go-around, too.
The Pistons have a lot of history to live up to.
Detroit had the Bad Boys, then the Mr. Big Shot teams led by Chauncey Billups and the Wallace frontcourt.
Cunningham has a long way to go to be referenced in the same air as some of those guys.
But in this series, and this season, he and the Pistons showed the fight that all great Detroit basketball teams have had. And with that relentless pursuit of excellence in mind, the Pistons can be darn-near successful once again.
English (US)