The Whiteboard: How the surging Pistons stack up against potential playoff foes

At this time last season, the Detroit Pistons were 9-49. Now, they're 33-26 and a near-lock to earn a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference standings. Talk about a turnaround!

Detroit is riding high on an eight-game winning streak, something they hadn't done since 2007-08. First-time All-Star, jumbo point guard Cade Cunningham is "sizzling," as he described. Sharpshooter Malik Beasley is making threes at a clip only Stephen Curry has before. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has the squad firing on all cylinders in his first campaign and fully deserves the Coach of the Year Buzz he's garnering. The Pistons have been playing excellent basketball lately — not just by their standards.

During this recent hot stretch, the Pistons are No. 3 in the league in offense and No. 5 in defense, ranking No. 4 in overall net rating. But it's also worth noting they haven't faced a gauntlet of opponents, to put it mildly.

Detroit has defeated the Philadelphia 76ers, Chicago Bulls (twice), Charlotte Hornets, Victor Wembanyama-less San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Clippers. However, they passed their biggest test with flying colors, defeating the reigning champion Boston Celtics by 20 on Wednesday.

It ain't much, but it's honest work. Nevertheless, the Pistons proved their success hasn't been a fluke and a sign of things to come by taking down Boston. Detroit hosts the title-contending Denver Nuggets next, giving them another chance to make a statement.

The Pistons are within striking distance of home-court advantage in the first round of this year's playoffs. That's almost unfathomable, considering their 22.5-game opening pre-season expected win total. And they were below .500 on Jan. 1! Yet, only two losses separates Detroit from the fourth-place Indiana Pacers in the East.

With that in mind, let's assess how the Pistons stack up in a best-of-seven series versus potential 2025 postseason foes.

Stacking the Detroit Pistons up against potential first-round foes in the 2025 NBA Playoffs

New York Knicks: Detroit's currently slated for a Round 1 matchup with the Knicks and has fared well against a talented albeit flawed New York squad. They've won two of three meetings thus far, with their last showdown scheduled for Apr. 10. No team allows opponents to shoot threes more efficiently than the orange and blue (38.1 percent). Conveniently, the Pistons boast a stable of reliable veterans who can give them fits from beyond the arc, headlined by Beasley.

Indiana Pacers: The Pacers have Detroit's number this season, taking three of their four clashes. The Pistons' lone victory was a blowout in the NBA Cup group-play stage (if the latter part matters). Indiana's been a top-10 defense since the calendar flipped to 2025 and has the size, length and depth to validate this is sustainable. The division rivals are a less-than-ideal challenger for Cunningham and Co.

Milwaukee Bucks: Despite Cunningham's continued ascension, the Bucks still have the best two players on the court whenever these two teams meet. Perennial MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo, All-Star floor general Damian Lillard and their new-look supporting cast are too much to overcome. These two clubs haven't seen each other since Milwaukee's makeover, but the Pistons are 0-2 against them.

Boston Celtics: Boston is 3-1 in the head-to-head results and has a 13.3-point average margin of victory in the games they've won. The Celtics are daunting competition for anyone, so the Pistons shouldn't be discouraged. They're the defending champs and are favored to defend their title for good reason. Perhaps Detroit can eke out another gentleman's sweep, but that feels like the ceiling in this scenario.

Overall, the Knicks are ostensibly Detroit's best chance of reaching the East's final four. While New York is dangerous, they're also an imperfect roster with defensive vulnerabilities. Exploiting weaknesses will be pivotal to the Pistons' chances to survive and advance.

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NBA news roundup:

• Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic recorded a 19-point, 15-rebound, 12-assist triple-double in his first game against the Dallas Mavericks. But most importantly, he guided the purple and gold to a 107-99 victory in the highly anticipated "revenge game."
• Knicks center Mitchell Robinson is reportedly inching closer to making his 2024-25 season debut. The 7-footer won't be available for New York's upcoming meeting with the Philadelphia 76ers. But ESPN's Shams Charania said on Feb. 23 that he's eyeing a return in the next week.
• Charania also revealed that the New Orleans Pelicans are converting swingman Brandon Boston Jr.'s two-way contract into a standard two-year deal. The 23-year-old is posting career-high numbers across the board and has established himself as a potential long-term rotation piece.

Josh Giddey has played himself into the Bulls' long-term plans

The Bulls acquired do-it-all point forward Josh Giddey in a one-for-one swap for two-time All-Defensive veteran wing Alex Caruso on an expiring contract. Subsequently, a new deal seemed imminent, right? Otherwise, they were giving up a coveted asset for a rental. But Chicago shocked everyone when they didn't engage in any "meaningful negotiations" before the rookie-scale extension deadline, a decision that's proving costly.

Yesterday's price is no longer today's price. Giddey has capitalized on the additional opportunities created by Chicago re-routing two-time All-Star Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings. Albeit a small sample size, he's been flourishing since the NBA's Feb. 6 trade deadline, specifically over the Bulls' past four contests:

According to Opta Stats, no one in the Association's extensive history has stuffed the stat sheet like Giddey has over a trio of matches. He became the first player to amass at least 75 points, 40 rebounds, 20 assists, 10 made threes and 10 steals across a three-game span.

Moreover, Giddey isn't merely racking up big numbers, but he's doing so at a highly effective rate. His dazzling .523/.625/.867 shooting splits since Feb. 8 on respectable volume (12.3 field goals per game, 4.6 nightly threes) is remarkable. Especially when comparing those percentages to the Australian's season-long/career marks.

Defensively, Giddey has been using his 6-foot-8 frame and active hands to wreak havoc, generating 1.6 blocks and 1.3 steals over this seven-game stretch. The 22-year-old is putting it all together. He's living up to the lofty potential that made him the No. 6 overall pick in the 2021 draft; on both ends of the floor.

Of course, seeing Giddey blossom and force himself into Chicago's long-term plans is an encouraging development. Nonetheless, as we've seen from this current Bulls regime, they shot themselves in the foot by not signing him before the 2025-25 campaign. The team's brass is watching his value increase with each passing day, losing any leverage they may have had heading into the offseason.