Why the Detroit Pistons could win the NBA title
Ahead of the NBA playoffs, FOX Sports will find the best-case scenario for all 16 qualified teams and make the case for why each could win the title, no matter how improbable it might be.
Yes, the Pistons are an 8 seed, but they're not an ordinary 8 seed. They have one of the top coaches in the NBA and a roster that he has hand selected. They're long and aggressive on defense, and they run an offense that many teams have problems defending. They give the No. 1 seed in the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers, headaches.
The Pistons had two wins over the Cavs before the seedings were solidified, including an impressive 96-88 win in Cleveland in February, after which Stan Van Gundy pointed out the underlying truth of the Pistons:
"We're capable of beating anybody and we're capable of losing to anybody. The guys felt good about themselves tonight, and I think everyone played well defensively the whole game."
When the team plays with defensive energy and swagger, they're much better than an 8 seed. The playoffs will provide plenty of energy --€” if the Pistons harness it, there's no visible ceiling for how high they could go.
If you aren't familiar with Pistons guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, you're about to be. KCP is one of the NBA's most overlooked talents, a high-energy guy who can check as many as four positions and whose offensive game is on the verge of a breakthrough.
As Steve Hinson described him: "[he's a] dirtbike with the brakes removed, the throttle super-glued all the way back." You need guys like that in the playoffs.
Caldwell-Pope is a stopper, on par with Avery Bradley and Klay Thompson according to NBA's SportVu data, and his 3-point shooting is an x-factor for a Detroit team that has embraced Van Gundy's inside-out offense, most famously seen with the Dwight Howard-led Orlando Magic team that won the Eastern Conference in 2009.
KCP isn't a good 3-point shooter, but he has gone on hot streaks with his shot from distance (an energy player being streaky? Never...) If KCP can find his 3-point stroke in the playoffs, it'll take an already formidable Detroit team --€” one that can stay with the best teams in the league without it --€” over the top.
The Pistons will need KCP to be at the top of his game if they're to beat the Cavs in the first round and go on a deep playoff run, but with point guard Reggie Jackson, Andre Drummond, a solid cast of role players in a system that fits their skillsets (Marcus Morris is a matchup nightmare) they're in good shape. Add a breakout 3-and-D star and the Pistons could shock more than a few people.
The Pistons, like in their best eras, are overlooked and love it.
This quote from Jackson sums up this squad perfectly:
We know that the Pistons can beat the Cavs, and while the Heat, Raptors, Celtics, and even the Hornets are formidable opponents, you have to imagine that the confidence that would come from slaying Goliath would propel the Pistons through the Eastern Conference playoffs (as long as teams don't do the smart thing and foul Drummond every play and take their chances with a guy who shoots 36 percent from the line.)
If the Pistons land the Spurs in the NBA Finals, the outlook wouldn't be too hot in the Motor City --€” the Pistons would rather play the Warriors.
That's because the Pistons have beaten the Warriors this season and made things interesting in the team's other showdown. Furthermore, the toughest defensive matchup Stephen Curry has faced this season, by his own admission: KCP.
The Pistons winning a title this year is a longshot --€” plus-20000 --€” according to OddsShark, but it's hardly as outlandish as it looks on first glance.