Top-seeded Pistons embrace underdog tag

TL;DR

The top-seeded Detroit Pistons are embracing their underdog status as they prepare for the playoffs, despite skepticism from analysts. With a remarkable 60-win season and an MVP-caliber performance from Cade Cunningham, they aim to improve on last year's first-round exit.

Key points

Detroit Pistons finished the season with 60 wins
Cade Cunningham had an MVP-caliber season
Pistons aim to improve on last year's playoff performance
Coach J.B. Bickerstaff named NBA Coach of the Year
Pistons embrace underdog status heading into playoffs

Mentioned in this story

Cade CunninghamJ.B. BickerstaffIsaiah StewartJayson Tatum

Detroit PistonsBoston CelticsNew York KnicksCleveland Cavaliers

Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons drives during an NBA game against the Milwaukee Bucks (Gregory Shamus) (Gregory Shamus/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/Getty Images via AFP) Detroit are tuning out the naysayers who tip the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks or even fourth-seeded Cleveland to beat the top-seeded Pistons to the NBA Eastern Conference crown. "Everybody got a right to their own opinion," guard Ausar Thompson said this week as the Pistons prepped for their playoff opener on Sunday. "We don't really worry about that. We all believe we could not only come out the East but win it all. "We just focus on that, focus on ourselves and let everybody on the outside say what they've got to say." The Pistons piled up 60 wins behind an MVP-caliber season from Cade Cunningham. They topped the East from November on, weathering a string of injuries that included Cunningham's late-season absence with a collapsed lung to finish with the third-best record in the league. They'll open the playoffs against either Charlotte or Orlando, aiming to improve on their first-round exit at the hands of the Knicks last year. The Pistons' rise to the top of the East continues a remarkable turnaround from a dismal 14-win 2023-24 campaign. Their 60 wins are a 16-win improvement on last season, but plenty of pundits believe they're vulnerable, especially with the unexpected late-season return of to the Celtics after his recovery from a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in last year's playoffs. "Boston's obviously a good team but we're not concerned about Boston," said Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who on Friday was named the NBA Coaches Association's Coach of the Year. "Our biggest concern is making sure we’re doing what we need to do to go out and be as good as we possibly can. "Our guys don't live and die by other people's expectations and comments," Bickerstaff added. "Our guys show up and live and die by playing Pistons basketball." All season Bickerstaff has touted his team's camaraderie and intensity. They boasted the second-ranked defense in the league and the 10th-ranked offense, but some question whether they can keep the offense firing as teams make defensive adjustments over the course of post-season series. Big man says the pessimistic prognostications from outside the team only fuel the Pistons. "I feel like this is what we do," Stewart said. "We've always been underdogs, and we're still hunting. We like that." bb/rcw

Q&A

What is the Pistons' record this season?

The Detroit Pistons finished the season with 60 wins, marking a 16-win improvement from the previous year.

Who is the Pistons' MVP candidate this season?

Cade Cunningham is the MVP-caliber player leading the Detroit Pistons this season.

Who will the Pistons face in their playoff opener?

The Pistons will open the playoffs against either the Charlotte Hornets or the Orlando Magic.

Top-seeded Pistons embrace underdog tag

TL;DR

Key points

Q&A

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