NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
All the talk of the NBA has centered around the Los Angeles Lakers being title contenders recently. The truth is, the Detroit Pistons may have a better chance than them. Yes, I said the Pistons have a better chance than the Lakers to win a title, and here’s why.
When you think about it, what’s going on in Los Angeles is just them showing off a shiny new toy in Luka Doncic. We get it; it’s LA, so any moves made there will seem like a huge shift of power in the NBA. While in Detroit, they are playing with house money and a big ass chip on their shoulders. Donic and LeBron James are a great duo, but the Pistons have a much stronger team from top to bottom.
Cade Cunningham is putting up Luka-type numbers, but where is his respect in leading a team that finished last season with just 14 wins to now 34 wins and is sitting 6th in the Eastern Conference and just a game behind from taking over the 4th spot? The Lakers are sitting 5th in the Western Conference with 35 wins, but yet, the talk is about the Lakers being contenders. Why not the Pistons?
Let’s be real here: No one is saying the Detroit Pistons will beat the Boston Celtics or Cleveland Cavaliers in a 7-game series, but who truly thinks the Lakers can win a series against the Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, or even the Memphis Grizzlies? Hell, when healthy, they won’t even get past the Dallas Mavericks. But that’s for another article.
The Pistons are riding high following their impressive win over the defending champions, Celtics. And yet, it’s still about a full-court pass from Luka to LeBron. The Pistons have a deep roster that includes Cunningham, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren, Tim Hardaway Jr., Malik Beasley, and Ausar Thompson. And let’s not forget that they are doing this without their starting SG Jaden Ivey, who may miss the remainder of the season. The Pistons have just as much of a shot as the Lakers do.
Big names allow for big talk; that’s what we’re seeing out in Los Angeles. But in Detroit, they are doing it the hard way. Teamwork is what makes a winner, and this team is dialed in. Despite their record, they are still a season or two away from making noise with the big dawgs, not only in the East but in the NBA. Harris has found his rhythm. Duren is a rebounding machine and has a nice inside touch around the rim. Hardaway is hitting his perimeter shots, and Beasley, well, he’s everything the Detroit Pistons hoped he would be.
Many will read this and laugh but at the same time miss the whole point of this article. The Lakers are not title contenders at all, but if you were to say they are, why can’t we say the same about the Pistons? Is it because they don’t have Luka or LeBron? But if you’re going by numbers and records, the Pistons do stack up. The West is loaded, but the East is not slacking either.
Come playoff time, the Detroit Pistons will be tough out for any team. The Lakers are just another team sitting in the middle of the standings, which has garnered some respect from fans and analysts. The Pistons deserve just as much credit as they do. That’s all I’m saying.
