Here Are 3 Three Things That The Detroit Pistons Are Doing Right

Was there anyone who foresaw the Detroit Pistons rising to the top of the East in the middle of November?

Heading into this season, pundits pointed out how wide open the Eastern Conference is. With some top stars getting injured and other top stars getting shipped away, the top of the standings is anyone’s game in the East.

Four weeks into the 2025–26 season, the Pistons have outmaneuvered everyone else in their conference to claim the number one spot. While more than a handful of squads are caught in a logjam in the middle of the standings, Detroit is comfortably ahead of other contenders like the New York Knicks, the Atlanta Hawks, and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Fresh off a 44–38 finish and a playoff appearance last season, what are the Pistons doing right in their hot start? Here are three things going their way.

For starters, Detroit is third in defensive rating, trailing only the defending champions, the OKC Thunder, and the Nikola Jokić-led Denver Nuggets. A key part of this success is their interior defense; only three teams in the league are better than the Pistons at containing points in the paint.

Anchoring Detroit’s rim protection is Jalen Duren, their 6-foot-10 center, who leads the team in defensive win shares. Duren’s indispensable role in the Pistons’ top-tier defense may have just earned him a contract extension that had previously been reported as unlikely to materialize.

Defensive stops, of course, have to be capped with rebounds to secure the possession. The Pistons are not relenting in this regard, either: They’re third in the league in rebounds, averaging 47.8 boards per night. They also happen to be fifth in offensive rebounds, which puts them in a prime position to get extra scoring opportunities and compensates for their flaws in half-court execution.

Duren once again leads the charge here with his 12.0 rebounds per game. Just as impressive is the team effort of other players like Isaiah Stewart (6.7 rpg), Ausar Thompson (6.6 rpg), and Tobias Harris (6.0 rpg) to control the boards.

By now, the Pistons’ classic formula for winning becomes crystal clear: Get stops, grab rebounds, and go on a fastbreak rampage. The Pistons, in fact, are sixth in points off turnovers and seventh in fastbreak scoring. 

With an agile floor general like Cade Cunningham and athletic teammates like Ausar Thompson, the Pistons will continue to punish teams who turn the ball over or miss shots against their stingy defense.