Analysis:
Although they may still rest at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings and relatively remain ignored by the most part, the Detroit Pistons have swiftly and silently returned to becoming a force in the NBA. Their once stifling defensive play that had all but disappeared since team GM
Joe Dumars rashly and incomprehensibly threw a grenade on the veteran team that brought Detroit so much glory has finally returned as the Pistons currently rank among the top half of the league in points and field goals allowed. Detroit has also been a strong presence on the boards ranking eighth in the league in that category, while on the offensive end have been surprisingly lighting it up from the perimeter as they currently sit eleventh in the league in three point field goal percentage. Despite their rather lackluster record, the Pistons have proven to be quite the relentless adversary only losing by just three points per game thus far while statistically matching their opponent toe to toe in rebounds, field goals and turnovers. In one season the Pistons went from being unbearable to watch to actually being rather pleasantly appealing to eyes of late and it looks as if there will be a new Motor City Renaissance and every NBA team, especially in their own Central Division would be wise to take notice.
In January, the Pistons started the new year with a BANG by winning three of their first four games beating the
Sacramento Kings (
1/1/2013) and the
Atlanta Hawks (
1/4/2013) in two hard fought games at home while simply decimating their division rival
Milwaukee Bucks on the road (
1/11/2013). After that short 3-1 run, they suffered two straight loses falling at home in a three point heart breaker against the
Utah Jazz (
1/12/2013) followed by an embarrassing blowout loss at home courtesy of the
New York Knicks (
1/17/2013); however, the Pistons won three of their next five handing blowout losses to the
Boston Celtics (
1/20/2013) and the
Orlando Magic at home (
1/22/2013) while narrowly escaping the Magic yet again for the second time--this time on the road. Detroit would, could and should have possibly won four of five if they managed to hold on to beat the
Chicago Bulls (
1/23/2013); however, despite being to 85 points and .437 shooting, Chicago still manage to sneak past the Pistons by just three points. That game would have certainly been a major confidence boost and would have also been also a great morale boost as they finished January on a sour note losing their last two games rather badly by an average margin of 23 points at the hands of division rival Milwaukee Bucks (
1/29/2013) and the Central Division leading
Indiana Pacers (
1/20/2013).
February would both start finish rather bittersweet as they began the month by torching the
Cleveland Cavaliers (
2/1/2013), but would later lose their next three--two of which by a total of four points against the
Los Angeles Lakers (
2/3/2013) and the
Brooklyn Nets (
2/6/2013). The Pistons did bounce back strong however, by taking four of their next six games--first by upsetting the league's best
San Antonio Spurs by ten points (
2/8/2013), then by avenging their previous humiliating loss to the Milwaukee Bucks (
2/9/2013). And despite losing badly at home to the
New Orleans Hornets (2/11/2013) and the
Memphis Grizzlies (
2/19/2013) Detroit still grabbed two key wins taking down fellow Eastern Conference cellar dwelling teams in the
Washington Wizards (
2/13/2013) and the
Charlotte Bobcats (
2/20/2013). Unfortunately their 4-2 run would end as soon as it started as they would suffer soul crippling blowout losses not just once (
2/22/2013), but twice (
2/23/2013) at the hand of the first place Indiana Pacers followed by an eleven point drubbing by the Atlanta Hawks (
2/25/2013). The Pistons would however manage to salvage the month finishing the month by earning a hard fought victory against the Washington Wizards just scraping by just one point (
12/27/2013).
In those two months, one recurring theme remained rather dominant in the production and success of the Detroit Pistons and that was their unrelenting effort on the defensiive end. Despite going 10-15 in January and February, the Pistons held their opponents to under 100 points in fourteen of those games winning half of them--four of them by 15 or more points. Of the ones that they did lose, four of those games were rather tightly competitive as they lost them by a total of nine points--that is just a little over two points per game lost. On the flip side the Pistons were not as lucky when they allowed their opponents to score over the century mark as they went 3-8 in those games. Surprisingly the Pistons were 3-1 in games decided by ten points or less; however, as for the rest of those games, they would lose and lose badly by an average margin of 16 points in those seven other games.
Through observing the numbers, it becomes rather apparent that the Pistons are at their best when they focus on playing stifling defense as opposed to trying to outscore their opponents. Once they started loosening the reins and played lackadaisical defense, they would simply get run over by their competition as Detroit neither has the offensive power to match them or the Pistons simply would not be able to crawl out of the holes that they had dug themselves in. Nonetheless, despite their rather inconsistent and sputtering offensive, their defense has been the driving force of keeping them a competitive team for a majority of the regular season. Although they are still nowhere near to returning to their champion contending status from five years ago, if Detroit continue to grow and develop their chemistry and consistency on the defensive end, they can certainly become a playoff team in a year or two. With another top ten pick coming their way along with oodles of salary cap space once the season ends, Detroit might find themselves becoming a playoff ready team possibly sooner rather than later, and that will put a lot of stress and anxiety for their Eastern Conference rivals.
