Unveiling how the Pistons surged to first place in the Eastern Conference! The official website lists five key factors with Cunningham leading the charge as a championship contender.

As of November 11th Beijing time, the Detroit Pistons are currently the hottest team in the NBA, posting an 8-2 record over their last 10 games, highlighted by a six-game winning streak. Last season, their wins were more than triple those of the 2023-24 campaign, marking their first playoff appearance since 2019. Now, the team continues to build on that momentum and has climbed to the top of the Eastern Conference standings, firmly establishing themselves as title contenders. Why have they achieved such success? The NBA official website highlights five main reasons—

1. Cunningham’s Skill Advancement

Cunningham poses a scoring threat on every offensive possession and is now showing potential as a top-tier playmaker. Last season, his assists per game rose from 7.5 to 9.1 (ranking fourth in the league), and this season he has steadily improved on that. Currently, Cunningham averages 9.8 assists per game, with 11.2 per game during the winning streak. This includes 18 assists on November 2nd against the Mavericks, tying his career high. He was also named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the second time in his career.

2. Duren’s Interior Dominance

Jalen Duren is a “double-double machine,” maintaining his excellent form from last season—he ranked ninth in the league last year with 41 double-doubles. So far this season, he has recorded six double-doubles, five of which came during the winning streak. In the November 6th victory over the Jazz, he posted a “20-20” performance with 22 points and 22 rebounds. During the streak, Duren averaged 23.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1 block per game, shooting 68% from the field and an impressive 86% from the free-throw line.

3. Elite Offense and Defense

During the winning streak, the Pistons’ net rating (12.0) ranked fourth in the league, behind only the Thunder, Nuggets, and Timberwolves. Their offensive rating (120.4) was fifth, and their defensive rating (108.3) was fourth. In the key “four factors” metrics for this period, Detroit also excelled: their turnover rate was just 13%, free throw attempt rate ranked fourth at 33.7%, and they held opponents to an effective field goal percentage of only 50.3%, making it difficult for rivals to score easily.

4. New Additions Delivering Value

Duncan Robinson has proven to be a highly valuable signing for the Pistons. He averages 2.6 made three-pointers per game, increasing to 3 during the winning streak. Over this stretch, Robinson’s three-point shooting percentage reached 45%, and he also averaged nearly one steal per game.

5. Ausar Thompson Emerging as a Top Defender

Ausar Thompson’s impact goes beyond scoring—during the winning streak, he averaged 13.7 points per game with a shooting percentage of 49.3%. His defensive contributions were equally impressive, recording at least three steals in three games and nearly one block per game. Among players averaging at least 30 minutes in the last six games, his defensive rating (104.9) ranked seventh.