Leading the Eastern Conference with eight consecutive wins, the young Pistons are back from hell

The Pistons are really different.

So far this season, the Detroit Pistons are currently the hottest team in the league, winning eight consecutive games and ranking first in the Eastern Conference with a record of 10 wins and 2 losses. This is their best start in twenty years. Just two seasons ago, it took the Pistons 62 games to win 10 games. But today's Pistons continue to find ways to win, a stark contrast to two years ago when they used every conceivable method to lose.

Perhaps no young star in the league understands the fine line between winning and losing better than Cunningham, who has been through basketball hell and become stronger because of it. For anyone who has followed Detroit's trajectory over the past few seasons, Cunningham's performance in the win over the Wizards is perhaps best viewed as a moment of spiritual redemption.

This forms a kind of symmetry with the game that was the worst loss in team history the night after Christmas two years ago. That night, Cade played the most efficient game of his career at the time - 41 points and an effective field goal percentage of 78.6 percent - only to lose the game and officially saddle the 2023-24 Pistons with the longest single-season losing streak in NBA history. Back then, his best performances weren't enough to avoid history; now, even a historically bad night carries a certain magic.

This time, the Pistons won with Cunningham's 46-point triple-double. During the Pistons' current winning streak, they scored 119.9 points per 100 possessions, an efficiency that would have made them the league's second-best offense last season. Cunningham has been resurrected in his last seven games. The volume of shots in each data category has reached career highs. He publicly stated in the offseason that the goal was to improve his pull-up three-point shooting, and while his overall three-point shooting percentage was disappointing, he does feel most comfortable on long shots off the dribble this season.

According to data from Synergy Sports, nearly half of Cunningham's three-point shots were completed as a pick-and-roll ball handler, and he shot 40% on these shots. In his first four seasons, nearly two-thirds of Cunningham's 3-pointers were assisted; this season, two-thirds of Cunningham's 3-pointers were created by himself.

Cunningham is second only to SGA in the total number of breakthroughs this season. His free throw attempts skyrocketed. And continuing last year's trend, he's unafraid to drive to the basket when a driving lane presents itself. He has nearly as many dunks in his last 81 games (44) as he did in his first 138 games combined (45).

The stars are creating a chemical reaction in Detroit, and any superstar pick-and-roll master is incomplete without an ideal reliever.

Durham answered that call in a truly breakout season. The 21-year-old has been the league's most effective pick-and-roll shooter this season, combining production with efficiency: Duren scores an astounding 1.46 points per possession in the pick-and-roll (even more than Nikola Jokic) and shoots a whopping 81.5 percent from the field in the tactic. He's always been known for his chiseled frame and rocket-like explosiveness, but the instincts and vision he's shown as a passer over the years have always hinted at untapped potential. This is all becoming a reality in year four, with Duren averaging 19.4 points and 12 rebounds per game.

If health conditions permit, he will definitely become a final candidate for the Most Improved Player of the Year award. The Pistons have put the ball in Duren's hands more often this season, increasing his usage rate. Defenders who were used to seeing Duren as an lob threat and a hand-off position on the perimeter were now having to quickly adapt to Duren's ball-handling style, which was like Stoudemire in his prime.

Detroit is developing a synergy that is finally starting to reap the rewards. Since selecting Cunningham in 2021, the Pistons have been determined to build the team through the draft lottery. Ivey and Duren in 2022, Thompson in 2023, and Holland in 2024. Cade's rare combination of size, skill and game reading makes him a superconductor of irrepressible athleticism for those around him.

Yes, it's still early in the season, but the vision is clear and focused by last year's unexpected rise. After the team won eight games in a row, analyst Grant Long couldn't contain his excitement during the Pistons broadcast after the game. He predicted that the team would have a 72-10 season. Through all his laugh-out-loud laughter, it was hard to make out what he was hinting at. "You have to celebrate these moments," Long said. It was ecstasy and mourning. Detroit basketball has been in hell. And now, it's back.