Detroit sets up an eternal NBA negative record in the previous season. This year the Pistons turned their fate, tripled their number of victory and reached the playoffs. Since Dennis Schröder’s arrival in February, things have been going particularly well.
The game is scarce, the opponent is none other than East Primus Cleveland Cavaliers. Dennis Schröder pulls to the basket for the Detroit Pistons less than three minutes before the end, lays the ball from the left on the right hand, stops abruptly and hits the jump throw from the free -wing line. “In this situation, you need someone who is fearless who is not afraid of failure. And that is Dennis Schröder,” explains Pistons-Co commentator Greg Kelser to the audience.
Just a minute later, at only 1:30 on the music box, Schröder dances Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell, jumps behind the triple line and sinks the preliminary goal to the important home win against the Cavs-without watching his own all-star Cade Cunningham, who has to watch hurt. The German NBA veteran achieved seven of his 17 points in the final quarter, most of all players on the floor. “He knows how to play basketball,” says Head Coach JB Bickerstaff. “He has already experienced everything. He has the courage and ability to take the important throws, he is not afraid of the big moments.”
The victory against Eastern leader Cleveland last week was not only impressive; He was also synonymous with the first balance sheet-positive pistons season in ten years. It was only for the second time in the history of the league that a team managed to triple the number of their victories within a year. At least 28 wins more than in the pre -season – so far only nine teams have managed to do this in more than 75 years of bundled NBA history. In contrast to all of these teams, Detroit did not hire any future Hall of Famer or received recovered all-NBA players after an injury-plagued season. So how did the long catatonic club from Michigan make the U -turn within a very short time, from the biggest laugh number in the league to the greatest surprise in a long time?
Tradition team recently historically bad
The pistons are one of the traditional franchises in the league and have been part of them since their beginnings in the 1940s. Three championship banners hang under the hall corner, but the last title so far has been more than 20 years ago. The transformation from the championship candidate to a team in new and reconstruction was painful and excruciating. Dreroit has survived the regular season three times in the past 16 years, only to be swept out of the title race in round one and without every hint of a chance. The last victory in the Playoffs so far achieved in 2008, when the Boston Celtics, who later ended the NBA champion in the East final.
The glorious era of early millennium also ended when Detroit reached the Eastern Conference Finals six times in a row and which culminated in 2004 in the third championship title. Clubs such as Chauncey Billups, Ben Wallace, Rip Hamilton, Tayhaun Prince and Rashed Wallace are still revered in Michigan like heroes. Afterwards, the team from Motor City chased a successor and real franchise player in vain, Detroit was almost two decades as personalized incompetence.
No club has accumulated more bankruptcies in the past 16 years, almost two thirds of their games had lost the Michigan franchise. With only 466 victories in 804 defeats between 2008 and 2024, the pistons were in the last place. They reached less than 24 victories five times in a row, twice in a row they made the worst record of the league. In the pre -season, the pistons even lost 28 times in a row – NBA negative record and the last drop in the barrel of incompetence and lack of direction.
A young superstar and Schröders rip -off
Team owner Tom Gores released manager Troy Weaver and head coach Monty Williams, although he still owed the latter to contractually $ 65 million. Trajan Langdon as team president and Bickerstaff as head coach took over. With them, a fresh wind came into the Autostadt – especially because they finally lifted the Pistons in terms of personnel and playfully into modern times. More spacing in the half field, a gruff, over-aggressive defensive (Detroit leads the league at the fouls and technical fouls), good rebound work and an enormously high speed (best transition team of the NBA), the individual and collective skills in Bickerstaffs troops. “The best thing about our boys is that we always find new means to win games,” says the coach.
Langdon committed a number of veterans and capable distance shooters such as Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr., who finally opened franchise players Cunningham to raise his devastating all-around game. The 23-year-old replied with the best season of his career and the first jump to the All-Star team. Even when choosing the “Most Improved Player”, he is a big favorite thanks to the bearing 25.7 points and 9.2 Assists per game. Cunningham is directly involved in a third of all Pistons attacks, his usage rate is only exceeded by Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Dončić. “He reminds me very much of Luka,” says Schröder about his backcourt partner. “It is impressive how he dissecting the defensive.”
The German only came to “Motown” at the beginning of February, but thanks to his skills as a playmaker and leader, made itself indispensable at a rapid pace. Whether alongside Cunningham, or as a sole conductor of different LINEUPS: “He will help us a lot, especially the younger players. He can create for himself and others, can play next to and without Cade, to lead all kinds of formations. A real professional that appears to work every day and hangs in at both ends,” Langdon commented on the trade two months ago.
“We are hungry”
In fact, the Braunschweig has stabilized the young troop sustainably, sometimes even represents the injured Cunningham in the starting line -up: Detroit has won three out of five games and is almost safe in the playoffs. On February 6, the German national team captain landed in the motor city, as part of a complex five-team trading with Golden State, Miami, Utah and Philadelphia, the all-star Jimmy Butler shipped to the Warriors-Schröder’s former team after moving from Brooklyn. The Pistons are Schröder’s eighth team in the NBA and already the third in the current season – four even if you take your stopover into the jazz (for which he never played a game). “It was a lot, especially for my family,” recalls Schröder. “But that’s how this business is. The love that I have learned here since I arrived is great.”
The Pistons have won 17 out of 25 games since the Trade Deadline in early February. Only the big championship favorites Oklahoma City, Boston, Cleveland and Golden State have a better balance in the same period. Schröder has completed 23 games for his new employer, the balance sheet with 15: 8 wins is upset. During the period, Detroit provides the third best defense of the league, the fifth best attack and the fourth best net rating. With average values of 10.9 points and 5.4 templates in a good 24 minutes per evening, Schröder does not reach his outstanding statistics in the Nets jersey. His leadership qualities, on the other hand, are beyond any doubt: as a piston, he is one of the most ball-safe players in the league, his assist-to-ball loss rate is absolutely elitist with 4.8 and would be one of the five best in the league if it is over a full season.
The real endurance test is still pending for the young team. The playoffs begin in a few weeks. Detroit’s playing style, the weaknesses in the half field, plus the collective inexperience, these are already massive question marks. How they sell there and whether they may even be able to win the first victory in 17 years will also depend on Schröder, the player experienced with 68 playoff operations in this squad.
No matter how this season may end: This team is not a mayfly. The top performers Cunningham, Isaiah Stewart and Jaden Ivey are only 23, Ausar Thompson 22, Jalen Duren 21 and Ron Holland Tarte 19. They dance together, celebrate together, spire each other. The energy in the “Little Caesars Arena” is contagious. No egos, no excuses, but “good vibes”. The young pistons firmly believe that they can beat each team in the league. And should only get better in the future. “We took huge steps and learned how to win basketball games,” says Cunningham. “It was damn difficult, but we stayed on it and were rewarded this year. We are hungry …”.
