Corridor of Famer, TNT commentator and G14 classification fanatic Shaquille O’Neal not too long ago made some waves with a pair of unflattering statements concerning the fightin’ Detroit Pistons.
First, Shaq dismissed Detroit as a boring staff unworthy of consideration as a result of they have been “4 video games beneath .500” (Be aware: they’re eight video games over .500) and “not successful no f***ing championship.”
Then, throughout TNT’s “Contained in the NBA” on Tuesday, Shaq appeared to supply an olive department to the Pistons and their devoted, praising All-Star guard Cade Cunningham and the staff’s normal willingness to “play exhausting” beneath head coach Chauncey Billups.
Here is Shaq congratulating Portland Path Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups on turning the Detroit Pistons round. 👍 pic.twitter.com/roe6qnGaKE
— Terrible Saying (@awfulannouncing) March 12, 2025
Only one drawback with that: Whereas Chauncey Billups was synonymous with the Pistons all through the 2000s, main the franchise to 6 straight Japanese Convention finals appearances, a pair of NBA Finals and the 2004 NBA championship, and whereas he is at the moment an NBA head coach, he’s not the coach of the Detroit Pistons. Billups, in reality, coaches the Portland Path Blazers. J.B. Bickerstaff coaches the Detroit Pistons — and has finished so with such aplomb that he’s in all probability going to wind up at or close to the highest of a variety of Coach of the 12 months ballots come season’s finish. (Although presumably not Shaq’s, if he has one. Is he going to get one? Do these include G14 classification?)
When his commentator colleague Candace Parker referred to as out the error, Shaq responded by … reasserting that the staff he was simply praising was beneath his discover.
“You recognize, to start with, I don’t watch Detroit,” he mentioned. “How about that?”
Yeah. How about that?
In any occasion: Maybe you, like Shaq, haven’t gotten round to checking in on the Pistons all that a lot this season, owing partly (possibly principally) to the truth that they haven’t had the advantage of taking part in on nationwide tv all that a lot this season. Nicely, I’ve acquired some excellent news: They’re going to be getting at the least one other handful of nationwide TV video games in a couple of month or so, as a result of the Pistons are on tempo to make the playoffs for the primary time in six years.
You’ll in all probability wish to brush up on them earlier than then. So: In honor of a staff that sits eight video games over .500 for the primary time since January of 2009, listed below are 5 issues price understanding concerning the 2024-25 Detroit Pistons, who’ve been among the best tales within the NBA all season lengthy … even when not all people’s been following it.
1. This is without doubt one of the most dramatic turnarounds in NBA historical past.
One motive why the final viewers is likely to be slightly gradual to choose up what the Pistons have been placing down? The final time they heard something about Detroit, it was about how final yr’s Monty Williams-led mannequin was threatening to set a brand new NBA report for consecutive losses, futility and embarrassment. What a distinction a yr makes: Williams is gone, Bickerstaff is in, and the Pistons have left these unhealthy outdated days behind.
The 2023-24 Pistons received 14 video games all season. The 2024-25 version tied that mark on Boxing Day, and doubled it earlier than the All-Star break.
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Detroit enters Thursday’s matchup with the woeful Washington Wizards at 37-29 — 23 extra wins than final season, with a successful share a whopping 39% greater than final season. By each whole and share, that’s, by far, the largest turnaround within the league this season, topping the Memphis Grizzlies (15 extra wins, +30.7%), Cleveland Cavaliers (seven extra wins, +26.1%) and the aforementioned Path Blazers (seven extra wins, +16.2%).
(In equity to Shaq, we actually ought to like what Chauncey’s doing there. We simply additionally should know the place “there” is.)
If the Pistons preserve their .561 successful share, they’ll end with 46 wins — a 32-win year-over-year enchancment. That might tie the 1979-1980 Boston Celtics (who added rookie Larry Hen) for the fifth-largest single-season turnaround in NBA historical past — behind solely the 2007-08 Celtics (who traded for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen), the 1997-98 Spurs (who drafted Tim Duncan and acquired David Robinson wholesome), the 1989-1990 Spurs (who drafted Robinson), and the 2004-05 Phoenix Suns (who signed Steve Nash).
A cynic would possibly ding Detroit by arguing that it had nowhere to go however up after final season, and that any climb goes to look extra spectacular while you begin a number of sub-basements beneath all people else. A much less jaundiced eye, although, would possibly see this glow-up as much more spectacular than these top-five turnarounds exactly as a result of these Pistons didn’t add any Corridor of Famers. They only signed Tobias Harris and Malik Beasley, traded for Tim Hardaway Jr., handed Bickerstaff a roster filled with untapped potential, and trusted that he might get extra out of it. The outcomes converse for themselves: This yr’s Pistons are on tempo to complete with the best successful share the franchise has seen for the reason that late Flip Saunders’ ultimate yr on the bench again in 2008.
“[Bickerstaff] form of retains us on observe and lets us know the way, since day one, we’re not simply out right here to do that,” Pistons middle Jalen Duren not too long ago informed reporters. “We’re attempting to make some noise. We’re attempting to change into a greater staff. And he’s carried that each one season. He’s the man who’s set the tone for the tradition.”
He’s not the one one:
2. Cade Cunningham is taking part in just like the prospect he was projected to be.
There are two gamers within the NBA this season averaging 25 factors and 9 assists per recreation. Certainly one of them is Nikola Jokić, who is likely to be on the best way to his fourth MVP trophy. The opposite is Cunningham, the No. 1 choose within the 2021 NBA Draft, who has responded to taking part in in much less congestion because of the presence of legit floor-spacers like Beasley, Harris and Hardaway by delivering essentially the most composed, managed and flat-out greatest play of his profession, and who is likely to be on the best way to his first All-NBA look.
With extra shooters and finishers on the opposite finish of his passes, solely Trae Younger and Jokić common extra assists or factors created through help than Cunningham; solely Jokić and LeBron James have posted extra triple-doubles. With extra openings to penetrate off the dribble, he’s driving to the basket extra typically than anyone in addition to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Brunson, Younger and Zion Williamson, and producing factors on 71.5% of these drives, by far a career-high. And when defenses attempt to play him for the drive by sagging off or ducking beneath ball-screens, he’s change into devastating within the pull-up recreation, whether or not from midrange (the place he’s taking pictures a career-best 47%) or past the arc, the place he’s made 81 pull-up triples — greater than double final season, and practically as many as previously three seasons mixed.
You’ll be able to quibble over Cunningham’s taking pictures effectivity: 51% on 2-pointers and 36% from 3, marks that set up the hole between the place he’s and the place Luka Dončić, a equally styled large processing level guard, was at a related stage of his profession. And whereas that could be a large hole, it’s additionally one between “high MVP candidate” and “All-NBA-caliber huge-usage centerpiece of a staff with an actual shot at home-court benefit within the opening spherical of the playoffs.”
Which signifies that Cunningham has already bridged one other essential hole: the one between the seemingly limitless promise he flashed as a prep prospect and the underwhelming-for-a-number-of-reasons outcomes of his first three seasons as a professional. What Cunningham’s producing proper now represents potential actualized; a promise, stored.
3. Ausar Thompson is an absolute menace.
Hey, you know the way a lot you’ve loved watching Amen Thompson tear it up down in Houston? Nicely, enjoyable reality: They made two of him!
Ausar Thompson missed the primary month of the season recovering from a daunting blood clot problem that curtailed his rookie marketing campaign and stored him on the shelf for greater than eight months. After a number of weeks of ramp-up time, Bickerstaff slotted the 6-foot-7 havoc-wreaker into the beginning lineup, the place he promptly started … y’know … wreaking havoc.
He’s averaging 16.2 factors per 36 minutes on 57.6% taking pictures over his final 30 video games, to go together with 8.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.2 steals, 1.0 blocks and 6.3 deflections — all whereas guarding the nastiest large wings and on-ball threats the opponent has to supply. Detroit’s gone 20-10 in these 30 begins, outscoring opponents by 8.3 factors per 100 possessions with Ausar on the ground, and permitting simply 107.7 points-per-100 — a near-Thunderian price — with him flying everywhere in the court docket like a banshee.
If what you want most about basketball is hyper-athletes sprinting in every single place they go, taking part in bodily and uncompromising protection, making the additional cross and eschewing 3-pointers in favor of flinging himself relentlessly on the basket, then I recommend you examine this younger man out. He would possibly simply be your new favourite participant.
And should you’re not sick of 3-pointers …
4. Malik Beasley’s shimmy is a very pleasant celebration.
Legendary choreographer Martha Graham as soon as mentioned that dance is the hidden language of the soul. Nicely, your man Malik Beasley has spent all season revealing the phrases buried deep inside his soul to opponents. It appears to be saying, “Hahahahaha — examine this s*** out.”
There’s an irrepressible childlike pleasure to Beasley wiggling his hips within the normal path of his foes after pulling down a giant 3-pointer. And if it looks like he’s getting higher at it because the season goes alongside, it is likely to be as a result of he’s had loads of follow: The ninth-year veteran has drilled a league-leading 259 triples this season, launching greater than 9 long-balls per recreation and connecting on practically 4 of them, a 42% clip — all profession highs.
Beasley has confirmed an ideal complement for Cunningham, an ever-present risk both recognizing up reverse Cade as a goal within the pick-and-roll or as a ghost screener in a small-small two-man recreation that may tie opposing defenses in knots. Ship two to the ball in opposition to Detroit at your personal peril. Earlier than lengthy, the ball’s in all probability going to land within the arms of a participant who’s blossomed into one of many league’s premier perimeter marksmen, and a below-the-waist shimmy is quickly to comply with — a lot to his head coach’s chagrin.
JB on Beasley: “I informed him he’s ruining a era of gamers as a result of each time they hit a 3 they wish to hit a shimmy as a substitute of getting again on protection, together with my son.”
— Omari Sankofa II (@omarisankofa) February 27, 2025
5. They’ve been legitimately good for a whereas now.
Scoff should you should at celebrating a staff that’s a mere eight video games over .500 in a league the place the Cavaliers, Thunder and Celtics exist. (It’s price noting that greater than half of the NBA’s groups want they have been eight video games over .500, however I digress.) Since mid-December, although, Detroit is 27-13 — tied with the Knicks for the fourth-best report within the NBA in that span, behind solely Cleveland, Oklahoma Metropolis and the Lakers, and a 55-win tempo over the total season.
The Pistons rank tenth in offensive effectivity and third on the defensive finish over that 40-game stretch — one among six groups within the high 10 on either side of the ball. Over the previous six weeks, that’s as much as seventh and third, thanks partially to the bruising inside intimidation and elite rim safety of Isaiah Stewart: Amongst 216 gamers to contest at the least 100 pictures on the basket this season, Beef Stew ranks second in defensive subject objective share allowed, in line with Second Spectrum, holding opponents to simply 45.5% taking pictures on point-blank trie
Since the beginning of February, solely Cleveland and Oklahoma Metropolis — the 2 greatest groups within the league, two traditionally wonderful regular-season squads — have a greater web ranking than Detroit. The Pistons received 14 video games final season. Their preseason Las Vegas over/beneath was 24.5 wins. They enter Thursday’s play neck-and-neck with the Bucks and Pacers within the working for fourth, fifth and sixth within the East; a number of postseason projection fashions now have them as not solely a near-certainty to complete above the play-in, however with a better-than-20% shot at fourth.
Skeptics can dismiss Detroit as an also-ran fattening up on soft-serve competitors, owing to its 10-19 report in opposition to opponents above .500 and its 27-10 mark in opposition to these beneath. Current wins over the Clippers and Celtics, although — and tight losses to the Cavs and revamped Warriors — recommend that they’re able to extra than simply gatekeeping, which is one thing no person might have predicted again in October … and which is form of what we’re all on the lookout for once we tune in on any given evening, proper? One thing sudden, one thing contemporary and new — a zag from the chalk, a burst of blood within the chest.
Surprises like these Pistons don’t come round all that usually. It’s price celebrating and savoring them once they do … even when it means having to study some new names, and work out who, precisely, is teaching them.
