Let's talk about the Pistons suddenly becoming fierce. Including their recent victory over the Timberwolves, the Pistons have a record of 6 wins and 1 loss. Except for losing to the Nuggets, they have been beating almost everyone else. It must be said that this young team, which has been tanking for years, has finally officially gotten on track. This season, the Pistons have a record of 17 wins and 18 losses, with a win rate of around 50%, and their ranking is firmly within the play-in tournament line.
New head coach Bickerstaff said, "Our defense is awesome, our rebounding is awesome, our physicality is awesome, we are awesome." It must be said that Bickerstaff, who has been criticized as a garbage coach for so many years, has now turned things around in Detroit, which can be considered a good coach meeting strong players. In contrast, the former head coach of the Pistons, Monty, appears quite awkward.
When the Suns sent away Monty, many coaches and players spoke up for him, saying that the Suns' achievements should not overlook Monty's contributions. However, while many teams spoke up for Monty, very few were willing to bring him into their own teams, and the Pistons stand out among the big spenders.
They proactively offered Monty an 80 million super contract, which at the time directly broke the record for the highest-paid coach in NBA history. Unfortunately, as the season progressed, the Pistons' record became worse and worse. The management was decisive enough to admit their mistake in judgment and cut ties with him during the offseason, signing Bickerstaff instead and giving Cunningham a 260 million top salary to establish him as the cornerstone of the team.
This season, Cunningham has lived up to the team's expectations, averaging 24.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 9.5 assists, with shooting percentages reaching 45%+38%+80%. Among the new generation of stars, he can be considered efficient. The only thing that needs to be strengthened is his average of 4.32 turnovers per game. As the ball-handler, controlling turnovers is an important step from being a star to becoming a superstar.
This season, the Pistons have surpassed last season's win total and tied the win total from the 2022-23 season. They are only six wins away from tying the win total from the 2021-22 season. At a time when no one was paying attention, the Pistons have completed a complete turnaround from being the worst team in the league. Now, it's time to reap the fruits of their labor!
