After a March marked by Cade Cunningham’s collapsed lung – which initially raised serious concerns – the Detroit Pistons regained their leader before the end of the regular season and, not without difficulty, managed to hold on to the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
Jalen Duren and his teammates now enter the NBA Playoffs with strong momentum and a record that naturally places them among the favorites – at least to win the Conference and reach the NBA Finals.
A young core that, thanks to last season’s experience, has already gained valuable playoff reps after competing in a hard-fought series. That, too, is a solid argument supporting the expectations that media, fans, and even Isiah Thomas have placed on this team throughout the season – and still do today.
But head coach J.B. Bickerstaff speaking after Wednesday’s practice, isn’t buying into the external hype:
We don’t pay attention to what’s being said outside, and that’s the best part. Our guys don’t live or die by expectations or other people’s opinions – they show up and live and die playing for the Pistons, and that makes everything easier
J.B. Bickerstaff
Focus and the ability to block out outside pressure are, at this stage of the season, the most important factors for on-court performance.
If you’re not worried about what others say about you, you can just go out there and do your job as naturally as possible. My players have done that all year
J.B. Bickerstaff
The Detroit Pistons are the only team in the East that still doesn’t know its first-round opponent. The NBA Play-In final will determine whether they face the Orlando Magic or the Charlotte Hornetstwo teams with completely different playing styles.
The former – league leaders in free throw attempts during the regular season – lean heavily on drives and isolations from Paolo Banchero. The latter are closely tied to their three-point shooting, despite operating at a relatively slow pace.
In either scenario, the odds clearly favor the Michigan franchise, which has no intention of slowing down just as things are getting interesting.
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