Mitch Albom: Pistons have playoff edge – they already know who they are
TL;DR
The Detroit Pistons have a playoff edge as they enter the postseason with a clear identity and understanding of their team dynamics. This contrasts with their past playoff experiences, where they faced early eliminations.
Key points
- Pistons have a clear team identity entering the playoffs
- First playoff game was 40 years ago against the Atlanta Hawks
- Pistons lost their first playoff series in 1983
- Key players included Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars
- Current team dynamics are more defined than in previous years
Mentioned in this story
My first Detroit Pistons playoff game was 40 years ago, in the Omni Coliseum in Atlanta, which, a decade later, during the Summer Olympics, would see a bomb explode in the park next to it.
That playoff night, the Pistons sported Joe Dumars, Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahorn, Isiah Thomas and Kelly Tripucka — and got trashed by a Hawks team that featured Dominique Wilkins, aka the Human Highlight Film, and Spud Webb, a guard who, by NBA standards, could fit in your pocket.
The Pistons lost that game, 140-122. They would lose Game 2 as well, then win Game 3 back home at the Pontiac Silverdome, before dropping Game 4 in double overtime by a single point.
Taken on its own, you’d not call that a successful postseason. Eliminated in the first round. Defeated in the closing seconds. Didn’t even get to a decisive Game 5.
Detroit Pistons guard Javonte Green (31) during pregame warm ups against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday, April 10, 2026.
Detroit Pistons forward Duncan Robinson (55) during pregame warm ups against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday, April 10, 2026.
Detroit Pistons forward Ronald Holland II (5) shoots during pregame warm ups against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday, April 10, 2026.
Detroit Pistons forward Ronald Holland II (5) shoots during pregame warm ups against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday, April 10, 2026.
Detroit Pistons forward Ronald Holland II (5) shoots with forward Duncan Robinson (55) during pregame warm ups against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday, April 10, 2026.
Charlotte Hornets guard Coby White (3) chats with Detroit Pistons guard/forward Kevin Huerter (27) and guard Javonte Green (31) during pregame warm ups at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday, April 10, 2026.
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Detroit Pistons open final road trip of regular season vs Hornets
Detroit Pistons guard Javonte Green (31) during pregame warm ups against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday, April 10, 2026.
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Detroit Pistons open final road trip of regular season vs Hornets
Detroit Pistons guard Javonte Green (31) during pregame warm ups against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday, April 10, 2026.
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Detroit Pistons open final road trip of regular season vs Hornets
Detroit Pistons forward Duncan Robinson (55) during pregame warm ups against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday, April 10, 2026.
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Detroit Pistons open final road trip of regular season vs Hornets
Detroit Pistons forward Ronald Holland II (5) shoots during pregame warm ups against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday, April 10, 2026.
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Detroit Pistons open final road trip of regular season vs Hornets
Detroit Pistons forward Ronald Holland II (5) shoots during pregame warm ups against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday, April 10, 2026.
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Detroit Pistons open final road trip of regular season vs Hornets
Detroit Pistons forward Ronald Holland II (5) shoots with forward Duncan Robinson (55) during pregame warm ups against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday, April 10, 2026.
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Detroit Pistons open final road trip of regular season vs Hornets
Charlotte Hornets guard Coby White (3) chats with Detroit Pistons guard/forward Kevin Huerter (27) and guard Javonte Green (31) during pregame warm ups at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday, April 10, 2026.
But the next year, those same Pistons returned with their lineup largely intact (save for Adrian Dantley replacing the traded Tripucka) and, having grown from their defeat, they went all the way to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals before losing to (ugh) the Boston Celtics.
Now here we are again, 40 years later, on the lip of another Pistons postseason that begins Sunday, April 19. The Silverdome has been demolished. The Omni has been demolished. Dumars, Thomas and the rest are long since retired. Chuck Daly, the old coach, and Jack McCloskey, the old GM, have both passed away.
But this year’s Pistons have something big in common with their 40-years-ago version.
There’s a springboard beneath their feet.
And it could see them soar.
Growing pains in the playoffs
Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) talks to New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) after 116-113 in the Game 6 of Eastern Conference playoff first round at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Thursday, May 1, 2025.
The NBA is, traditionally, a league where you claw your way up in playoff experience. Young teams can make an early splash, but usually get pushed off the ladder by a team that’s done it before. Then they come back more determined the next year, go further, maybe even a conference finals or an NBA Finals, but often slip trying to get over the hump. The next time out, anything goes.
The Pistons, in the old days, took this roadmap to an NBA title. The Chicago Bulls were next. Then the San Antonio Spurs followed suit. The reason it takes time to win a crown in this league is that losing builds character, character builds identity, and identity gets you over the top. Show me an NBA champion, and I’ll show you a team that has figured out who it is, what it does well, who is expected to do what, and who doesn’t care if they don’t get the ball (or the glory).
The Pistons' "Bad Boys" champions of 1989 and 1990 had an identity: They saw themselves as hard-nosed, physical defenders, with scoring punch from one of the best backcourts ever.
The Pistons' "Goin’ To Work" group that won it all in 2004 was equally blue-collared, with a chip on their shoulders from being cast off from previous teams. Their lack of a single superstar, in an era of teams with double superstars, became a winning ensemble formula.
Which brings us to these 2026 Pistons, who have forged an identity of their own, much of it through defeat. Last week, I asked coach J.B. Bickerstaff if losing in the first round to New York last year is motivation for this year’s run.
“I do think (that series) taught us some lessons,” he said. “It was unfortunate the way it ended for us, but ultimately it helped us get to where we are now.”
Where they are now is the No. 1 seed in the East, a 60-win season, and homecourt advantage all the way until the finals. But regular-season excellence is useless if you don’t have the right postseason mentality. And this is where the Pistons, defeated in six tough games by the Knicks in the previous playoffs, may have their greatest edge.
They thrive on turnaround.
From dark times, into the light
Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) and guard Cade Cunningham (2) battle for the ball against Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) during the first half at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026.
Remember, Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart and Ausar Thompson, all current starters, were also all here two years ago when the team won 14 games and had a miserable 28-game losing streak. Is it any wonder that these are the same guys who refused to take their foot off the gas this season, even when the playoffs were locked up, even when Cunningham went out for 11 games with a collapsed lung?
“I do believe (what happened) two seasons ago lit a fire under these guys that they haven't forgotten,” Bickerstaff said. “The way they felt they were treated, or talked about, the stuff that they'd gone through, how dark those days were. I believe that tied this group of guys together in a way that's unique and extremely special, and it lit a fire for them to show everyone who they really are and who they believe they can be.”
Exactly. And it’s those kinds of teams that tend to go furthest in the long grind that is the NBA playoffs. There’s a reason so many of the engineered superstar pairings in recent years never won a title (aka, wherever Kevin Durant or James Harden have gone). When the postseason slogs, you need more than stats. You need belief. You need someone stepping up if someone else slips. And you need defense.
Which perfectly describes the Pistons. They believed when others did not. They clearly step up (look at the 8-3 record when their biggest star, Cunningham, went out recently). And they play defense. Man, do they play defense.
“They compete,” Bickerstaff agreed. “They're willing to do the nasty, dirty, gritty things that a lot of people aren't willing to do. It’s because of (what they went through two years ago). Sometimes, you know, you have to go through those dark times to find something that brings you to the light.”
Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart dunks the ball during the first half against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday, April 12, 2026 in Indianapolis.
Those Pistons of 40 years ago left the Silverdome floor dejected after Game 4, heading home too soon. But they also sensed that they were building something. That they were coming.
Cunningham and the vastly improved Duren inspire that same kind of emotion. Stewart adds the edge, like Mahorn did. Tobias Harris brings a veteran’s steady hand, the way Dantley did his first year in Detroit. Daniss Jenkins has burst into sudden significance, not unlike how Dennis Rodman did it.
Together, this year’s Pistons have the wins that make them a bona fide contender. But just as important, they have the losses, and the identity that, like a blade in a fire, gets sharpened as a result.
Oh. And one other similarity. Boston may very well be waiting should the Pistons make the Eastern Conference finals this time.
And we all know what that feels like.
Contact Mitch Albom: malbom@freepress.com. Check out the latest updates on his charities, books and events at MitchAlbom.com. Follow @mitchalbom on x.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons, as 2026 NBA playoffs open, already know who they are
Q&A
What is the history of the Pistons in the playoffs?
The Pistons have a long playoff history, including their first playoff game 40 years ago, where they were eliminated in the first round.
Who were the key players in the Pistons' first playoff game?
Key players in the Pistons' first playoff game included Joe Dumars, Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahorn, Isiah Thomas, and Kelly Tripucka.
What was the outcome of the Pistons' first playoff series?
The Pistons lost their first playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks, winning only one game and being eliminated in the first round.
How does the current Pistons team compare to past playoff teams?
The current Pistons team is noted for having a clearer identity and understanding of their strengths compared to past teams that struggled in the playoffs.