The Pistons’ Best Reason for Optimism Is Their Youth
· Yahoo Sports
The Detroit Pistons were not supposed to be here. Not many people expected Detroit to be the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference in 2025-26, and the Pistons finished 60-22, their first 60-win season since 2005-06. They were battle-tested in the first round against the Orlando Magic, rallying to win that series after trailing 3-1.
In the second round, Detroit lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games. As the 2026-27 NBA season approaches for the Pistons, there are those who are optimistic and some who are not. Can Detroit repeat the same success as last season?
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A Young Core Gives the Detroit Pistons Hope Once Again
John Schuhmann of NBA.com wrote about why each NBA team should be optimistic as the 2026-27 NBA season approaches. He said about the Pistons, “They had the best record in games between eventual playoff teams last season, and the core is still very young.”
Cade Cunningham is only 24 years old. He averaged 23.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 9.9 assists per game in 64 games played last season. Cunningham is the best player on the team, and after finishing fifth in MVP voting he could very well be an MVP candidate again.
Ausar Thompson Is Signed and Still Getting Better
Ausar Thompson is only 23 years old. He just signed a five-year, $155 million contract extension. Thompson averaged 9.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game last season in 73 games played. He could be the best defender on the Pistons team and has room to grow offensively.
The Jalen Duren Contract Situation Could Derail the Pistons
Jalen Duren is only 22 years old and he is still a restricted free agent. It will be interesting to see if he is back with the Pistons or not. If he is back with Detroit, they have a high ceiling. If not, then things could get spicy depending on what team he gets traded to and what kind of return they get.
Duren struggled in the postseason, but he was very good in the regular season. Duren in 70 games averaged 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.8 blocks and 0.8 steals per game. The Pistons need Duren, Thompson and Cunningham to be the core three of this franchise for the next several seasons. This is why he needs to be signed to a new contract as soon as possible.