How the Pistons can complete the triple title as the winning streak reaches historic heights

Exactly two years ago, Detroit Pistons were in the middle of a an extended losing streak that would reach 28 gamesa sign that put this franchise on the wrong end of history. This Pistons organization has hit rock bottom after years of failing to recapture the glory of its mid-2000s run.

After winning just 14 games during the 2023-24 NBA season, the road has been cleared for Detroit to regain its lost glory.

JB Bickerstaff became the team’s new coach, Cade Cunningham took a huge step forward as an All-NBA player under Bickerstaff, and the franchise now sits atop the Eastern Conference heading into the 2025-26 season.

The Pistons have gone 15-2 through their first 17 games and currently have the league’s longest active winning streak at 13 games after defeating the Indiana Pacers 122-117 on Monday night. While eight of their wins during this streak have come against losing teams, Detroit is fast raising eyebrows across the league.

“It’s pretty cool that we had the worst streak in franchise history and now we have a chance to have the biggest streak in franchise history,” Cunningham said after Monday’s win in Indianapolis, via Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press . “But this is just a product of the work. This is not what we wanted; we have bigger things to do.”

It wasn’t that long ago that this team couldn’t win a game. Now, we don’t know when they’ll lose again, as Cunningham and this fairly young group have the poise, potential and confidence to follow in the footsteps of the Pistons legends who came before them.

There were two other times in Detroit history when they won 13 games. The 1989-90 Pistons, who won 59 games, had a 13-game winning streak, as did the 2003-04 Pistons, who won 54 games.

What do these two teams have in common? except for their 13 game winning streaksyou may ask? Well, both the 1989-90 and 2003-04 teams won the NBA Finals.

Could this year’s Cunningham-led Pistons team do the same?

Clips according to the old championship recipe

There are many similarities between this year’s Pistons team and the two championship teams of 1990 and 2004 other than their 13-game winning streak.

While the two championship teams in Detroit’s past weren’t known for stuffing the scoreboard and leading the league offensively, they were two of the best defensive teams in NBA history. No one wanted to play the Bad Boy Pistons because of their physicality on defense, and they simply wore teams down on that end of the floor.

During the 1989-90 season, the Pistons ranked second in defensive rating, and led several defensive categories, including opponent scoring (98.3 PPG), opponent shooting percentage (44.7%) and other important metrics.

There’s a lot to be said for the 2003-04 team, as they finished the year ranked second in defensive ranking and leading the league in both opponent scoring (84.3 PPG) and perimeter shooting (30.2%).

The recipe for success for the old-school Pistons was to go all out for all 48 minutes every night on defense and play at a higher physical level than any other team in the league. Much of this philosophy has been inherited by Bickerstaff and the 2025-26 Pistons, but they’re doing it their own way. Instead of being assessed hard fouls and constant techniques, Detroit wears teams down on defense by not allowing easy scoring opportunities.

The Pistons have one of the best transition defenses in the NBA through the first month of the season and are currently allowing it fourth-least points to his suit opponents. Teams are struggling to find driving lanes against Detroit’s length, which has helped Bickerstaff’s group have the fourth-best defensive rating through the first 17 games.

Defense is once again the formula for success in Detroit, but we can’t forget about their offense either.

Just as Isiah Thomas and Chauncey Billups led their teams to championships with MVP-like play at the point guard position, Cunningham is doing the same this season. More importantly, he finds ways to get everyone involved and plays to his teammates’ strengths.

Cade is currently averaging 27.1 points and 9.6 assists per game while shooting 44.4 percent. He currently ranks 14th in scoring and second in assists, trailing only Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic for the league lead in that category.

Eight different players are currently averaging at least 10 points per game for the Pistons, and they rank sixth on the team in shooting percentage (49%). When you shoot at high percentages and can consistently make stops on defense, you’re going to win a lot of games.

That’s what’s happened with the Pistons so far, and that’s why Bickerstaff continues to challenge his team to strive for greatness.

“I wish we were greedier,” Bickerstaff said after Monday’s win against the Pistons, a game in which Detroit was outscored 62-51 in the second half. “I felt like we let our guard down defensively in that fourth quarter and even the third quarter. We let them get going. And again, I’ll say it again, our defense is our identity. That’s when we’re at our best.

“That’s the mindset we have to have — the mindset has to be, ‘We can never feel full or satisfied.'”

Defined roles to achieve success

Up and down the Pistons roster this year, everyone has a defined role.

While Cunningham is the undisputed leader of the All-Star team as well, the unselfishness and willingness of everyone else to follow his lead is what created this 13-game winning streak.

Jalen Duren was a double-double machine and is now in contention for the league’s MVP award, Ausar Thompson has emerged as one of the best two-way wings in the league, Duncan Robinson and Dennis Jenkins provide much-needed depth at the rim, and Isaiah Stewart brings a bit of the “bad boy” vibe with his energy on defense.

The list goes on and on for this group and what they bring to the table, which has the Pistons sitting comfortably atop the Eastern Conference standings and looking like the team to beat in the East this season. It’s no longer a secret around the league that this team has become a legitimate title contender after contending for the first overall pick in the NBA draft exactly two years ago.

Everyone is noticing what Bickerstaff, Cunningham and this organization have built. After beating the Pacers on Monday night, a team that just went to the 2025 NBA Finals, Rick Carlisle made sure to admit that what the Pistons are doing is by no means a fluke.

“This team is built in a similar way to the Bad Boy Pistons and then the Pistons of my era,” said Carlisle, who spent two seasons as Detroit’s coach before their 2004 championship.

“Now they’ve got a great coach with JB and a great staff there. So they’re making a pretty clear statement that they’re for real.”

The next steps for the Pistons to compete for a championship

The Pistons are taking a page out of their playbook as they try to complete the trifecta of titles with the mantra “defense wins championships.” Still, there’s plenty of basketball to be played, and anything can happen in Detroit’s next 65 games.

The NBA season is a marathon, not a sprint, and only because the Pistons are currently 15-2 and sit next to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the at the top of the league it means nothing.

Injuries are unpredictable, and every team always experiences some kind of cold during the season. How teams respond to adversity and how well they are able to stay true to themselves without changing their core principles is what creates a true championship contender.

Even so, this current winning streak has been special for Cunningham and the Pistons, which is why they embrace the history they’ve made.

“It’s amazing. We’re playing for the Detroit Pistons, man. A historic franchise,” Cunningham admitted Monday. “So to be able to make history for a historic franchise like this — that’s special.”

Of course, with immediate success to start the season, especially for a young team like the Pistons, comes many rumors about what their future looks like.

Will Detroit try to make a big trade and solidify their status as a real title threat? Are the Pistons just one part of starting the East? Does Cade Cunningham need another star next to him like other NBA title contenders?

These are all the questions that have been asked about the Pistons during their historic 13-game hitting streak. While these questions will obviously be asked by fans and those who want to create hypothetical trade scenarios (stars like Lauri Markkanen and Anthony Davis they are already being thrown around as possibilities), it is not fair to discredit this group and jump to conclusions that are not even relevant.

No need to try to fix something that ain’t broke, that’s the current thinking in Detroit. Down the road, there may be an opportunity that presents itself in front of the Pistons, but one month into the season, this team is perfect as it is.

This team has shown a very unique chemistry with each other despite having many different styles of play, and Detroit’s front office is totally on board with Bickerstaff and his coaches. No move needs to be made at this point, and the Pistons, despite numerous rumors of them exploring the trade market, are operating with this mindset.

The Pistons are not currently actively contacting teams about a potential trade before the February deadline, but are instead focused on continuing to develop this team that has won 15 of its first 17 games.

While it’s unlikely to happen, Cunningham and the Pistons are on pace to win 72 games during the 2025-26 season. Their franchise record of 64 wins in a season is certainly a goal on the mind of this group, and they know that as long as they stay true to who they are, this record is within reach.

With Jaden Ivey back in the mix and veteran forward Tobias Harris who recently returned from injury, the Pistons will continue to push forward and look to extend their historic 13-game winning streak.

At some point, this streak will end, and all the buzz about Detroit needing to make a move will be thrust into the spotlight again. But at the end of the day, this team already has everything they need to compete in the East.

History is on the side of the Pistons, as this franchise’s 13-game winning streak and a title suddenly become a real, attainable goal.