Last year, the Detroit Pistons finally broke through after five seasons of unadulterated misery. After five years of rebuilding from the ground up, the Pistons made it to the playoffs and even competed in a close six-game series against eventual Eastern Conference Finalist New York Knicks. Cade Cunningham, the first overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft, arrived as a legitimate superstar, finishing last season as a member of the All-NBA Third Team, and greater things are yet to come for this nascent Pistons team.
These improvements certainly showed for the Pistons in the 2024 NBA Cup, when they finished 3-1 in the group stage — only missing out on the knockout stages because of their relatively poor point differential of plus-seven (the best second-place team were the Orlando Magic with a point differential of plus-45).
The Pistons ended up falling short in the final game of the group stage, with eventual NBA Cup champion Milwaukee Bucks dominating them despite being on the road. Detroit was so close yet so far, and now, they'll be looking to redeem themselves by taking the next step in the third season of the NBA Cup.
While the Pistons didn't make any blockbuster moves this offseason (adding Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson, two role players, instead), more improvements from their young core around Cunningham (Jaden Ivey is expected to be back, Ausar Thompson is a defensive menace, and Jalen Duren improved by leaps and bounds) could lead to an even more successful season for them.
With that said, here are some predictions for how the Pistons will fare in the upcoming season's NBA Cup.
Pistons look to take next step in ascent by flourishing in NBA Cup East Group B
The Pistons are certainly going to be in a position where they could realistically go 4-0 in the group stage of the 2025 NBA Cup. They were drawn into Group B in the Eastern Conference, joining the Boston Celtics, Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, and Brooklyn Nets.
That Celtics team is not going to be the powerhouse it usually is; their frontcourt is severely depleted and they'll be without Jayson Tatum for (presumably) the entirety of the 2025-26 campaign.
Meanwhile, the Magic, despite adding Desmond Bane, could still run into some offensive issues, as Bane alone won't solve the horrific three-point shooting problem they encountered last year.
The 76ers could be a major problem, but health is going to be a concern for a team that lost Joel Embiid and Paul George to troubling injury woes for most of last season.
And to finish it all off, the Nets aren't expected to pose much of a threat, if any at all. They are in the running for the distinction of being the worst team in the NBA, and they might set a few ignominious records in the process of fielding perhaps one of the most horrible rosters of all-time.
Pistons game-by-game predictions for 2025 NBA Cup
Game 1: Pistons @ Nets, November 7 at 7:30 PM E.T.
A cursory look at the Nets roster reveals a glaring lack of star power and a logjam across multiple positions that is sure to confound even head coach Jordi Fernandez. Cam Thomas is disgruntled, Michael Porter Jr. is overmatched as a number-one option, and the team's guard play is going to boil down to the play of three rookies who may or may not pass for viable rotation players, let alone starters, in their first year in the NBA.
The Pistons handily swept the Nets last year; they won all three contests against them with an average victory margin of 16.7 points. And the Nets got even worse this season.
Cunningham and company will make mincemeat of this Nets squad, setting themselves up for the ideal start as the Pistons look to make it deep into the competition this year.
Prediction: Pistons win by 20+ points
Game 2: Pistons vs. 76ers, November 14 at 7:30 PM E.T.
Make no mistake about it, no one should underestimate the 76ers. They have a talented trio consisting of Embiid, George, and Tyrese Maxey, and they have a growing young core as well, headlined by VJ Edgecombe and Jared McCain. Quentin Grimes also looms as another weapon after he broke out in a larger role in Philly towards the end of last season.
A very exciting matchup this would be if the 76ers are going to be fully healthy for this contest. But that is never a guarantee with Embiid, and, in recent memory, with George. For the 76ers, keeping Embiid healthy for when the games truly matter (playoffs) is the priority; they may not ask him to go full-tilt this early in the season, especially when he's coming off surgery that ended his season early back in February.
With the game being at home, the Pistons should handle business.
Prediction: Pistons win by 8+ points
Game 3: Pistons @ Celtics, November 26 at 5:00 PM E.T.
From 2022 to 2024, there was a stretch where the Celtics won 12 consecutive games against the Pistons. Detroit ended that streak in February with a statement 117-97 victory.
With Tatum out and the Celtics looking like a shell of their championship-winning selves following the offseason trades that sent away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, Boston is not likely to be much of a threat next year — even in the NBA Cup.
Expect the Pistons to take care of a shorthanded Celtics team on the road, with Cunningham popping off for 30+ points in a double-digit victory.
Prediction: Pistons win by double digits
Game 4: Pistons vs. Magic, November 28 at 7:30 PM E.T.
Two young teams square off in the final game of the group stage for a ticket to the knockout phase. It's going to be a highly-anticipated contest, with three of the most exciting young players in the league (Cunningham, Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner) looking to take their teams to the next level.
Last year, the Pistons did struggle against the Magic's elite defense. Orlando remains elite on that side of the ball even with the addition of Bane, and that isn't about to change anytime soon. They forced Cunningham into tough shooting nights and as the engine of Detroit's offense, they can ill-afford him having a bad night.
But even though the Pistons are going to lose against the Magic on this one, they will not be blown out. In fact, they will lose by a very slim margin in overtime. That should be enough to give them the tiebreaker in the point differential department, sending them to the knockout stage over the Magic, which will end up losing out by a hair.
Prediction: Pistons lose by two in overtime but still make it to knockout stage with 3-1 record
Can Detroit advance to Vegas?
In a plot development that everyone should have seen coming, the Pistons will be advancing to the knockout stage, only to battle the team that knocked them out of playoff contention last year in the Knicks. Historically, the Knicks have always been a good NBA Cup team; hence, the Pistons will be backed into a corner and forced to give it their all if they were to make it to Vegas.
It's all going to boil down to the performance of the Pistons' role players if they were to advance over the Knicks. Last playoffs, their three-point shooting faltered when it mattered most, with noted sharpshooters Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. having their fair share of blunders.
Can LeVert and Robinson do what Beasley and Hardaway couldn't? Ivey will be back as well. But Jalen Brunson is going to be too much of a nuisance for the Pistons, as they came to know all too well last year.
In a cruel twist, it is the Knicks that once again puts an end to the Pistons' run, furthering the brewing rivalry between the two sides.
Prediction: Pistons lose to the Knicks in the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup
