Can The Pistons Emerge As Eastern Conference Contenders?

The Detroit Pistons have gone from a league afterthought to one of the NBAs biggest surprises.

Once viewed as a perennial rebuilding team, theyre forcing a shift in the conversation.

With a 33-26 record and eight-game winning streak, some wonder if the Pistons are dark-horse contenders in the Eastern Conference.

While the talk of being contenders is promising, the Pistons still have work to do.

To become a legitimate Eastern Conference threat, they must sustain their current level of play and defeat top-tier conference teams.

With Cade Cunningham and a mix of young talent and veterans, the Pistons have what it takes to compete.

Can The Pistons Emerge As Eastern Conference Contenders? The Pistons Struggles Against Eastern Conference Contenders To be the best, you have to beat the bestand so far, the Pistons havent measured up.

Against the top five teams in the Eastern Conference, Detroit holds a disappointing 4-12 record.

Their only winning series is against the Knicks (2-1), with two close wins and a 30-point loss.

The Pistons have struggled the most against the conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers, losing all three meetings by an average of 11.3 points.

While they notched an impressive 20-point win over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, they still dropped three of four in the season series, losing by an average of 13.3 points in the three defeats.

The story is similar to Indianasthe Pistons lost three matchups by double digits (10.3-point average margin) but managed to steal one game with a dominant 24-point victory.

Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks have handled the Pistons comfortably, winning both contests by an average of 14 points.

If the Pistons want to be taken seriously as contenders, they must start proving themselves against elite competition.

Beating up on lower-tier teams is one thingcompeting with the best is another.

Proving Themselves Against Western Conference Contenders If the Pistons want to establish themselves as genuine championship contenders, they must prove they can compete with the best teams from both conferences.

So far, theyve held their own against the elite of the Western Conference, posting a 3-3 record against the top teams.

Though a smaller sample size than the East, these performances build confidence as the season progresses.

Detroit won both tightly contested battles in their season series against the Los Angeles Lakers, showing resilience in clutch moments.

They also split their series against the Houston Rockets, edging out a +9 point differential across both games.

However, their most significant tests are still ahead.

With matchups remaining against the Memphis Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets, and Oklahoma City Thunder, the Pistons have prime opportunities to showcase their potential on a league-wide stage.

The Last Word The Detroit Pistons have made strides, but their path to becoming a legitimate contender is still a work in progress.

While theyve shown flashes of brilliance, their struggles against the Easts top teams highlight the need for continued growth.

Upcoming games against top Western teams are a proving ground to solidify the Pistons place among the NBAs best.

The Pistons can transition from a rising team to a legitimate championship contender with statement wins.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission..

This article has been shared from the original article on yardbarker, here is the link to the original article.