Photo: Rick Osentoski ~ IMAGN IMAGES
DETROIT, March 29, 2025 ~ The Detroit Pistons officially tripled their win total from last season Friday night in a double-digit victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 42-win Pistons, led by NBA All-Star Cade Cunningham, are the first ever team to triple the amount of wins in an 82-game season from the year prior.
The team made a number of adjustments over the offseason to bring Detroit to playoff relevancy from being a 14-win team in 2023-2024. Starting with hiring President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon and Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff, the team has soared into fifth place in the Eastern Conference, 1.5 games behind the Indiana Pacers.
Langdon also made a number of key veteran free agent acquisitions, including forward and former Piston Tobias Harris along with shooting guards Malik Beasley and University of Michigan alumni Tim Hardaway Jr. Rookie Ron Holland II, picked fifth overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, also has been a standout defensive threat off the bench.
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just a part of the journey. #DetroitBasketball pic.twitter.com/9oTx5cMZYL
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) March 29, 2025
(CONTINUED) The development of key starters such as point guard Cade Cunningham, center Jalen Duren, and forward Ausar Thompson has also boosted the team to a 10-win differential 74 games into the season. The 6-foot-8 Cunningham ranks ninth in the entire league in scoring, averaging 25.7 points per game. He also dishes out 9.2 assists per game while averaging 6.1 rebounds.
Thompson has stepped into a key role in the absence of shooting guard Jaden Ivey due to injury. The second-year wing scored 18 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and blocked four shots in the win over the Cavs. Duren is averaging a double-double this season, scoring 11 points while snagging 10 rebounds per contest.
With only eight games left in the regular-season, the Pistons have some tough matchups coming up with contenders from both conferences. The next matchup will be on the road against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday, March 30 at 7 p.m.
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