Exactly two years ago, the Detroit Pistons were in the midst of a prolonged losing streak that would reach 28 games, a mark that put this franchise on the wrong end of history. This Pistons organization had hit rock bottom after years of failing to regain the glory of their run in the mid-2000s.
After winning just 14 games during the 2023-24 NBA season, a path to reclaim that lost glory presented itself to Detroit.
J.B. Bickerstaff became the team's new head coach, Cade Cunningham took a massive step forward as an All-NBA performer under Bickerstaff, and this franchise now resides at the top of the Eastern Conference early in the 2025-26 season.
The Pistons have gone 15-2 through their first 17 games and currently hold the league's longest active win streak at 13 games after defeating the Indiana Pacers 122-117 on Monday night. While eight of their wins during this streak have come against teams with a losing record, Detroit is quickly raising eyebrows across the league.
“It's pretty cool that we had the worst streak in franchise history, and now we have an opportunity to go have the greatest streak in franchise history,” Cunningham said after Monday's win in Indianapolis, via Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. “But this is just a product of the work. This isn’t what we were going for; we still have bigger things to go do.”
It wasn't long ago that this team couldn't win a game. Now, we don't know when they will lose again, as Cunningham and this fairly young group have the poise, potential, and confidence to follow in the footsteps of the Pistons legends that came before them.
There have been two other times in Detroit's history that they have won 13 games. The 1989-90 Pistons, who won 59 games, had a 13-game win streak, as did the 2003-04 Pistons, who won 54 games.
What do these two teams have in common with each other, other than their 13-game win streaks, you may ask? Well, both the 1989-90 and 2003-04 teams went on to win the NBA Finals.
Could this year's Pistons team, led by Cunningham, do the same?
Pistons following old championship recipe
There are many similarities between this year's Pistons squad and the two championship teams from 1990 and 2004, other than their 13-game win streaks.
While the two championship teams in Detroit's past were not known for filling up the scoreboard and leading the league offensively, they were two of the best defensive teams in the history of the NBA. Nobody wanted to play the “Bad Boy Pistons” because of their physicality on defense, and they simply wore teams down on that end of the floor.
During the 1989-90 season, the Pistons ranked second in defensive rating, and they led several defensive categories, including opponent's scoring (98.3 PPG), opponent's shooting percentage (44.7%), and other essential metrics.
Much of the same can be said of the 2003-04 team, as they finished the year ranking second in defensive rating and leading the league in both opponent's scoring (84.3 PPG) and opponent's perimeter shooting percentage (30.2%).
The recipe for success of the old-school Pistons was giving it their all for all 48 minutes every night on defense and playing at a higher physicality level than every other team in the league. Much of this philosophy has been inherited by Bickerstaff and the 2025-26 Pistons, but they are doing it their way. Instead of hard fouls and constant technicals being assessed to them, Detroit is wearing teams down on defense by not allowing easy scoring opportunities.
The Pistons have one of the best transition defenses in the NBA through the first month of the season, and they currently allow the fourth-fewest points to their opponents in the paint. Teams are having a hard time finding driving lanes against Detroit's length, which has helped Bickerstaff's group have the fourth-best defensive rating through their first 17 games.
Defense is once again the formula for success in Detroit, but we can't forget about their offense either.
Just like how Isiah Thomas and Chauncey Billups led their teams to championships with their MVP-like play at the point guard position, Cunningham is doing the same this season. More importantly, he's finding ways to get everyone involved and play to the strengths of his teammates.
Cade is currently averaging 27.1 points and 9.6 assists per game while shooting 44.4 percent from the floor. He currently ranks 14th in scoring and second in assists, trailing only Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic for the league lead in that category.
Eight different players are currently averaging at least 10 points per game for the Pistons, and they rank sixth in team shooting percentage (49%). When you take high-percentage shots and can constantly get stops on defense, you are going to win a lot of games.
That is what has happened with the Pistons to this point, and that is why Bickerstaff continues to challenge his team to strive for greatness.
“I would like for us to be greedier,” Bickerstaff stated after Monday's win against the Pistons, a game where Detroit was outscored 62-51 in the second half. “I felt like in that fourth quarter, and even in the third quarter, we let our guard down defensively. We allowed them to make a run. And again, I’ll keep saying it, our defense is our identity. That’s when we’re at our best.
“That’s the mindset that we have to have — the mindset has to be, ‘We can’t ever feel full or satisfied.'”
Defined roles forging success
Up and down the Pistons roster this year, everyone has a defined role.
Whereas Cunningham is the undisputed leader and All-Star of the team, everyone else's unselfishness and willingness to follow his lead is what has forged this 13-game winning streak.
Jalen Duren has been a double-double machine and is now in the running for the league's Most Improved Player award, Ausar Thompson has emerged as one of the best two-way wings in the league, Duncan Robinson and Daniss Jenkins are providing much-needed perimeter shooting depth, and Isaiah Stewart is bringing a little bit of that “Bad Boy Pistons” energy on defense with his bruiser-like play.
The list goes on and on for this group and what they bring to the table, which is why the Pistons are sitting comfortably at the top of the Eastern Conference standings and looking like the team to beat in the East this season. It is no secret anymore around the league that this team has become a legitimate title contender after only contending for the first overall pick in the NBA Draft exactly two years ago.
Everyone is taking notice of what Bickerstaff, Cunningham, and this organization have built. After defeating the Pacers on Monday night, a team that just went to the 2025 NBA Finals, Rick Carlisle made sure to acknowledge that what the Pistons are doing is by no means a fluke.
“This team has been built in a similar mode to the Bad Boy Pistons and then the Pistons of my era,” said Carlisle, who spent two seasons as Detroit's coach before their championship in 2004. “(They’re built) on physicality, toughness, and depth. They’re a mirror image of the personality of the city.
“Now they’ve got a great coach with J.B. and a great staff there. So, they’re making a pretty clear statement that they’re for real.”
Next steps for Pistons to compete for championship
The Pistons are taking a page out of their own book as they look to complete a title trifecta with a “defense wins championships” mantra. However, there is still a lot of basketball yet to be played, and anything can happen over Detroit's next 65 games.
The NBA season is a marathon, not a sprint, and just because the Pistons are 15-2 right now and sitting next to the Oklahoma City Thunder at the top of the league standings doesn't mean a thing.
Injuries are unpredictable, and every team always experiences some sort of cold streak during the season. How teams respond to adversity and how well they are able to remain themselves without changing their core principles is what creates a true championship contender.
Even so, this current winning streak has been special for Cunningham and the Pistons, which is why they are embracing the history they've made.
“It's amazing. We play for the Detroit Pistons, man. A historic franchise,” Cunningham admitted on Monday. “So, to be able to make history for a historic franchise like this — it's special.”
Of course, with immediate success to begin the season, especially for a younger team like the Pistons, come many rumors about what their future looks like.
Will Detroit look to pull off a big trade and solidify its status as a true title threat? Are the Pistons just one piece away from running the East? Does Cade Cunningham need another star alongside him like other title-contending teams in the NBA?
These are all questions that have been asked about the Pistons during their historic 13-game run. While these questions will obviously be asked by fans and those looking to create hypothetical trade scenarios (stars like Lauri Markkanen and Anthony Davis are already being thrown around as possibilities), it is not fair to discredit this group and jump to conclusions that aren't even relevant.
There is no need to try and fix something that isn't broken, and that is the mindset in Detroit right now. Down the road, maybe there is an opportunity that presents itself to the Pistons' brass, but one month into the season, this team is perfect as is.
This team has displayed very unique chemistry with one another despite having a ton of different styles of play, and Detroit's front office is completely in the loop with Bickerstaff and his coaches. No move needs to be made at this time, and the Pistons, despite plenty of rumors existing about them exploring the trade market, are operating with this mindset.
The Pistons are not actively contacting teams about a potential trade before February's deadline at the moment, and they are instead focused on continuing to develop this team that has won 15 of its first 17 games.
While it is unlikely to happen, Cunningham and the Pistons are on pace to win 72 games during the 2025-26 season. Their franchise record of 64 wins in a season is certainly a goal on the mind of this group, and they know that as long as they stay true to who they are, this record is obtainable.
With Jaden Ivey back in the mix and veteran forward Tobias Harris recently returning from his injury as well, the Pistons will continue to push forward and look to extend their historic 13-game winning streak.
At some point, this streak will end, and all the noise of Detroit needing to make a move will once again be cast into the spotlight. But at the end of the day, this team has everything they need already to compete in the East.
History is on the Pistons' side, as this franchise trifecta of having a 13-game win streak and claiming the title is suddenly becoming a real, obtainable goal.
