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Grant Hill makes bold prediction for 2025-26 Pistons season
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- Grant Hill makes bold prediction for 2025-26 Pistons season
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The post Grant Hill makes bold prediction for 2025-26 Pistons season appeared first on ClutchPoints .
The Detroit Pistons continue to garner new respect around the NBA after last season's turnaround. That admiration was recently extended by Pistons great Grant Hill when discussing his former team with R.G. Media during a golf tournament in Lake Tahoe.
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Hill spoke about how impressed he was with Detroit's success in becoming a playoff team. After reaching a historical struggle for the franchise the prior season, Hill reflected on what made their run so impressive.
"They had an incredible year, magical season. That team, you talk about resilience, and they went through just a difficult year the year before, but it gave them some grit — it gave them some resolve," Hill stated. "They reflected the spirit and mentality of Detroiters in a lot of ways, just fighting, collaborating, working together, figuring out, and getting through it."
The Pistons ended the 2024-25 season with a 44-38 record and secured their first playoff berth since 2019. Detroit battled the New York Knicks through six games during their first-round matchup. Those victories marked their first postseason wins in 17 years.
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Grant Hill sees a promising future for the Pistons
Hill believes that the Pistons' success can be extended further than just one season. The former Detroit first-round selection took time to analyze the landscape of the Eastern Conference heading into next season.
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"With the injuries, the roster changing in Boston , and then certainly a really talented Pacers team but also the injury to Haliburton . There was a window there. New York's there," Hill explained. "I think Detroit has an opportunity to take a step as well and be one of the better teams next season in the Eastern Conference."
The Pistons have slowly built and developed their foundation over the past several seasons. The TNT analyst elaborated on the positive additions that aided Detroit's breakout season.
The start of that change began when Detroit drafted their franchise point guard Cade Cunningham — a player who has received numerous comparisons to Hill since the 2021 NBA Draft. Cunningham continues to blossom as one of the most promising talents in the entire league.
He proved many doubters wrong, putting up career-high numbers averaging 26.1 points, 9.1 assists, and 6.1 rebounds during his fourth year with Detroit. That production stayed afloat during the playoffs, averaging 25.0 points, 8.7 assists, and 8.1 rebounds during the six-game series against the Knicks.
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The Pistons are looking to build on last season's success, especially with the open window in the Eastern Conference. Detroit's front office faced a tough offseason, losing shooters Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley . Their agenda pivoted to acquiring veterans Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson as free agents.
The Pistons will also have shooting guard Jaden Ivey and backup center Isaiah Stewart returning healthy. Both players were unavailable during the playoffs due to lingering injuries. Adding them back to their core could give them a legitimate chance to compete for the top of the East.
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