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A cloud of misery has surrounded the Detroit Pistons for years. This organization has not been to the playoffs since 2019, and the Pistons have endured five straight losing seasons, failing to win more than 23 games in a season over the last five years. Just last season, Detroit won only 14 games, their fewest in the 77-year history of the organization dating back to when they were the Fort Wayne Pistons. Opportunity is all that the Pistons can ask for, and a potential franchise-altering game will be played in Detroit when the Milwaukee Bucks visit for Tuesday night's NBA Cup game.
When the NBA first announced the formation of an in-season tournament, many made fun of the idea and didn't give it the time of day. Well, this event was a smashing success for the league a season ago, which is why even more is on the line this season.
Energy, effort, and intensity are the three core aspects that the NBA has gained from this in-season tournament, and the NBA Cup is once again bringing meaning to games that were oftentimes forgotten in November and December. Teams around the league have a newfound sense of belief in themselves because of these playoff-like atmospheres, and this is especially true for both the Bucks and Pistons.
Playoffs and Pistons are two words that haven't been used in the same sentence as one another for quite some time. The historically bad seasons that Detroit fans have endured allows for moments like Tuesday night to blossom. Winning the NBA Cup may not mean much to some organizations, but to the Pistons, having a chance to call themselves one of the final eight teams standing can completely change the trajectory and internal belief of this team.
That is what makes this matchup with Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks special.
Milwaukee has won each of their first three NBA Cup games with a point differential of +29 overall. Detroit has also won each of their first three NBA Cup games this season, outscoring their opponents by a combined total of 28 points. The winner of Tuesday night's game in Little Caesars Arena will claim East Group B and punch their ticket to the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup, giving them a shot at earning a trip to Las Vegas for the semifinals in December.
For the Pistons, this is a historic moment. Years of misery can finally be turned into hope, and hope could wind up evolving into reality. All the Pistons wanted this season was a chance to prove that they had grown out of their losing ways. A win against the Bucks in front of their home faithful and claiming their NBA Cup group with a perfect 4-0 record would do so.
However, the Bucks have other ideas. After stumbling out of the gates, Milwaukee has suddenly become the hottest team in the league and enters Tuesday's game in Detroit riding a six-game win streak. While the stakes are undeniably higher for this matchup, Giannis and the Bucks are maintaining the same mindset as any other game.
The only thing on their minds: Win
Bucks sole focus on winning… not the NBA Cup itself
Along with adding more competitiveness around the league, the NBA Cup has given teams a chance to completely change what has occurred over the first month of the new season. More importantly, these tournament games allow organizations to find a new sense of belief in themselves.
Last season, the New Orleans Pelicans and Indiana Pacers were two teams that made it to the semifinals of the in-season tournament despite nobody believing that they were legitimate threats. The Pacers advanced to the championship game, which directly impacted them going on a run and making it to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2014.
The Bucks got an up-close view of Indiana's success, as the Pacers were the team that booted them from the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup last year. A chance to get back to this spot and find redemption now presents itself to the Bucks, yet Tuesday night's battle in Detroit is just another game on their schedule and another chance to continue their recent winning ways.
A 2-8 start to the season created a lot of noise and commotion about if Milwaukee had a chance to be a real contending threat in the Eastern Conference, especially given the dominance of the Boston Celtics. The Bucks have since won eight of their last nine games due to the leadership of Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.
“We're going in the right direction by the way we're playing. We beating good teams. Winning at home. We winning on the road,” Lillard said on Nov. 26 after the team's NBA Cup win over the Miami Heat. “I think the way we're doing it is sustainable and it's showing that we're doing what we wanted to be doing coming into the season. It's definitely positive.”
Over their last nine games, the Bucks have averaged 116.3 points per game while only surrendering an average of 108.8 points per game. Although there is still plenty of work to be done for Milwaukee to reach their championship aspirations, head coach Doc Rivers has continued to preach continuity and stability.
With lineups constantly changing and Rivers finding solutions to end his team's recent woes, the NBA Cup provided the Bucks with an opportunity to take each game more seriously. That has allowed the team to find success and be on the verge of advancing to the quarterfinals for the second straight season.
“I keep going back to the start of the season when we were trying to find the right rotation and the right guys. Some guys lost minutes and some guys earned their minutes. But everybody kept working,” Rivers stated recently. “We're playing terrific basketball right now. This was a huge win for us because it's the in-season tournament. We want to win that. We want to put our name on that. I don't even know the rules and all that, but I want to just win it and get there.
“This year, we got off to a terrible start and we hadn't even talked about the in-season tournament. When the tournament came, it gave us something to play for. I think every team will use it differently.”
Practice on Monday had a different feel to it for the Bucks. There was more energy, and there was a level of anticipation building given what is at stake. Rivers and the Bucks have embraced this opportunity to play the Pistons in what is now a winner-takes-all matchup in East Group B of the NBA Cup.
“Obviously the NBA Cup games matter. Tomorrow in Detroit, my guess is that it's going to be an incredible atmosphere. I don't think if I could plan something better for us. I don't think I can plan better than tomorrow,” Rivers said at Monday's practice. “It's early in the season and you have a game that has some meaning behind it. The team that you're playing — it's a must-win for them. You know, it's a must-win for both teams.
“You don't get this early on. I think it's good for everybody.”
Cade Cunningham, Pistons ready to rise to occasion
Despite being 3-0 in their NBA Cup games entering Tuesday's final group stage game against Milwaukee, the Pistons are still a young team that is learning. JB Bickerstaff has done a fantastic job of instilling confidence in his youthful roster during his first season with the franchise, but the one difference in this team compared to last year that can't be overlooked is the veteran leadership that is present.
Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley, and Tim Hardaway Jr. brought 32 combined years of experience with them to Detroit this past offseason, and all three veterans were committed to helping establish a culture. Above all, they want to recreate the winning culture that resonated with this Pistons organization in the 2000s era when Chauncey Billups led the team to their third championship in 2004.
Bickerstaff has remained cool and collected after each game, taking the proper time to use wins and losses as learning moments for this group. After all, Jalen Duren, Jaden Ivey, Marcus Sasser, and Ron Holland are all recently drafted players that make up the future of the Pistons.
The leader of this young core is Cade Cunningham, who is well on his way to making the first All-Star appearance of his career. Cunningham has embraced the title of being this franchise's best player, and he has been red-hot to begin the 2024-25 season, averaging 23.5 points, 9.0 assists, and 7.2 rebounds per game while shooting 37.5 percent from three-point range. The 23-year-old has also registered four triple-doubles this season, tied with Domantas Sabonis for the third most in the league behind only Nikola Jokic (8) and LeBron James (6).
Cunningham and the Pistons are growing. With growth comes trials, and Tuesday night in Detroit represents a chance to finally take that next step forward. A trip to the quarterfinals, and potentially even hosting said game on their home court with a perfect 4-0 NBA Cup record, would mean more to the city of Detroit and this fanbase than anything else.
“The sense of urgency is high for sure,” Cunningham said after the team's 130-106 NBA Cup win over the Pacers on Friday, via Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. “We need every game we can get anyways, but I remember last year, Indiana ran it up on us in the in-season tournament and how serious they took it. They were going for points, they just beat us up.”
The NBA Cup represents an opportunity for new teams to break through and prove who they are. If there is anything known about this matchup, it's that Cunningham and the Pistons are ready to prove to the NBA world who they are. This is the biggest game the Pistons have played in quite some time, and the team is prepared to treat their fans with the passion and energy they deserve.
“This game was really personal for us, but in general, we all wanna go to Vegas and we all want to experience winning something.
“We're going for it.”
