Too many people are sleeping on the Pistons
Yahoo Sports NBA contributing writer Tom Haberstroh and senior NBA writer Dan Devine take a few minutes to remind the public that the Detroit Pistons are still a very good team, despite their playoff flameout. Check out the full conversation on "The Big Number" and subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , YouTube or wherever you listen .
Video Transcript
Our third and final little number this week, we're gonna go right up to the top of the standings in last year's Eastern Conference.
Third little number is 84.
That is the total number of points by which the Detroit Pistons beat the New York Knicks across three regular season meetings last season.
They were a, they were 3-0 in the regular season against the Knicks.
They killed the Knicks in a 31-point blowout in January, a 38-point blowout right after the trade deadline, both of those in Detroit.
And then when they, shifted to New York right after the, the All-Star break, 15-point win at MSG.
Jalen Duren didn't play in any of those games.
So that was your Isaiah Stewarts and your Paul Jo- Paul Reeds and, everybody else kinda making life miserable, particularly Cade Cunningham, who kinda got wherever he wanted and did whatever he wanted against the Knicks.
Asar Thompson, Ron Holland, the perimeter defenders they got there, really making life difficult on Jalen Brunson.
Knicks just didn't really seem to have any answers.
It didn't wind up mattering in the postseason because, yes, the version of the Knicks we saw in s- in the springtime was different than the one we saw in January and February and, yes, the last time we saw Detroit they were unimpressive in, well, their opening round win against the Orlando Magic and they were really disappointing in defeat, against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round.
But I think it's easy because they haven't done very much, right?
They swapped out Tobias Harris for- Yeah John Collins.
They added Isaiah Joe.
They, you know, not a ton of super exciting stuff.
Taurean Prince and Gary Harris are here.
But all those guys can shoot and we just saw you put shooting around Cade Cunningham you win 60 games .
And Jalen Duren, for all the Sturm und Drang about his free, restricted free agency, he's probably gonna be back there, right?
So are we overthinking 60-win team that just had the best points differential in the conference?
They're probably still somebody we should be thinking about in terms of a legit title contender.
Totally.
Detroit is just chomping at the bit to get another, shot at the New York Knicks, hopefully in the postseason for them.
I mean, the usage rate for, for Cade Cunningham in those matchups, he's a monster.
37.9 usage rate, his highest usage rate for against any team, in last year's regular season.
Cade Cunningham, his eyes get huge when he goes against the Knicks.
Average, average 27 points, 11 assists and five rebounds.
52% from the floor, 50% from downtown and of course getting to the free throw line at will.
This is something that, I feel like maybe one of the most underrated storylines in the league is, like, the Pistons won 60 games last year and no one seems to think that they're gonna be able to duplicate that this year.
I know the East got better.
The Knicks, the regular season is different than the postseason but, if Ca- Cade Cunningham's healthy, and he wasn't for the entirety of last season, obviously he got the exemption to be i- included on, first team All-NBA playing in 64 games.
But if he's playing around that next year it's gonna be very hard for me to believe that they're not gonna be right in the thick of the East.
