After winning 60 games last season, the Detroit Pistons hope to take the next step and become true title contenders this season. The problem is that they are facing a much stronger Eastern Conference. Toronto, Miami, and Philadelphia loaded up. Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton are back. The Knicks are the reigning champions. Not many gave the Pistons much of a chance of winning the East before the season.
But there are plenty of reasons for optimism. The Pistons are young, deep, and talented. They have far fewer injury concerns compared to their East rivals. They also have a ton of familiarity with one another and a proven formula. This should get them a top-four seed in the East in the regular season, giving them an advantage in the postseason.
Another source of optimism became clear in the first games of the season. Detroit's division rivals are mostly off to poor starts, giving the Pistons confidence that they should be able to win the division.
Pistons are still the best team in the Central Division
The Bucks and the Bulls looked like two of the worst teams in the league in their season openers. Chicago lost to Toronto 135-92, looking overmatched in every facet of the game. Rookie Caleb Wilson had nine turnovers and was -45 in his minutes.
Milwaukee fared a little better, but still lost by double digits to a mediocre Wizards team. Their defense, unsurprisingly, considering they start Tyler Herro and Kyle Kuzma, was a complete disaster.
The Cavs, on the other hand, were seemingly on track for an easy win over the Sixers on Thursday. After leading by 29 in the first half, they collapsed in the second half. They simply don't have enough depth, and newcomer Peyton Watson left plenty to be desired in his debut.
Indiana was the only division rival to win their first game. But they had to rely on a late fourth-quarter rally to defeat the Pelicans. It wasn't the most convincing of wins against an inferior opponent.
Of course, winning the division doesn't mean as much as it once did. At the same time, you still play each of your division opponents four times. Playing the Bucks and the Bulls eight times in an 82-game season will be a big boost to Detroit's record. Plus, neither the Pacers nor the Cavs look too hard to beat.
Detroit isn't going to win 60 games this season. But they don't need to. Their postseason viability is way more important.
In order to make a deep playoff run, however, a strong seed and home-court advantage are key. The very early returns suggest that the Pistons will have an excellent chance of securing that.
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