The top-seeded, 60-win Detroit Pistons are headed home. After a monumental 3-1 comeback against the Orlando Magic in the first round, they found themselves down 3-2 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Not only did they force game seven back to Detroit, but they also seemed to do no wrong in game six.

In the game that has been labeled as the two best words in all of sports, Game Seven, last night, the Pistons got destroyed. After winning the third most games in a regular season in franchise history, something has to change, coming up short. Where do they go from here?

Pistons Come Up Short

The Pistons were the best team in the Eastern Conference this year, led by 24-year-old superstar Cade Cunningham. They were the most physical team and aligned themselves with the thunder, as the safest bet that their physical style would transfer from the regular season to the postseason. We were wrong. Their style of play led to the third-most wins in the NBA this season. They accomplish that feat by physically imposing their will on their opponents.

In the first-round series against the Magic, I didn’t see it going long. However, after Orlando stole game one in Detroit, I realized that if the Pistons run into a team they cannot impose their will on, there are going to be issues, and that’s what happened.

They could not impose their will on Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr., or any of the Magic, for that matter. It took multiple Herculean performances by Cunningham and the rest of the organization to pull a rabbit out of their hat, or a little bit of Magic, to bolster them past the first round.

In their second-round matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers, I had not been impressed with the Cavs. This was the perfect matchup for Detroit to reach the conference finals for the first time since 2008. Like others, the Pistons’ physicality would be troublesome for a team led by their backcourt. I was wrong. Throughout the seven-game war back-and-forth, there were times when Donovan Mitchell snapped out of his funk and returned to the dominant postseason scoring he is.

To spotlight game seven last night for a second, that was one of the most one-sided affairs I have seen in a long time. I cannot believe the lack of effort the Pistons showed on their home floor. They looked lackadaisical, and whatever spark they had, they left it in Cleveland after dominating game six. One of the criticisms of this Pistons team has been their lack of tertiary scoring. If Tobias Harris doesn’t give you those 15 to 22 points he’s needed for on this team, the offense looks dreadful.

Was Cade great last night? No, flat out, unequivocally, he was a shell of himself. Why so harsh? When you’re the best player on your team, for good or for bad, the bulk of the load, or blame, gets placed at your feet. Last night, he finished with a series-low 13 points on inefficient 5/16 shooting and 0/7 from downtown.

Let’s move to a player who single-handedly cost him hundreds of millions of dollars within the span of 30 days, Jalen Duren. The fact that he played at an all-NBA level this season, averaging 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds, he shrank more than any player I can ever remember seeing. You were a walking 20 and 10 in the regular season. In the first round, you’re going against Wendell Carter, and you don’t have a single monster game.

For the series, you only average 11 points and nine rebounds per game. Your scoring dropped in half if this team wanted to get over the hump, and this might’ve been their best chance; it was now. What about against the Cleveland Cavaliers? Oh, he played even worse, averaging just 10 points and eight rebounds per game. There were stretches where he was benched for their third-string center, Paul Reed.

Now Reed has been a nice career backup center in the NBA, but the fact that you’re starting center had to be benched because, for whatever reason, he was not up for the challenge. Zach Randolph, of the Memphis Grizzlies, had a great quote years ago: “Where I come from, bullies get bullied.” Well, Jalen Duren, you got punked and bullied off the court by the Magic and the Cavaliers.

Entering the postseason, assuming he was on an all-NBA team, he would’ve been eligible for a five-year $287 million contract. Now, Detroit has to look itself in the mirror and think there’s no way they can give him that extension. He is a restricted free agent, so teams can make offers that the Pistons can match. That would be the smart thing to do, allow the market to determine his value.

To Do List This Offseason

The most important thing the Pistons need to do this offseason is get a secondary playmaker. If Cunningham hadn’t been creating for others, the offense would run into a wall. Dennis Jenkins is a nice role player; however, it is mind-boggling that the Pistons didn’t swing for the fences at the trade deadline.

Their lack of perimeter scoring was also a major factor in their downfall. In the regular season, they were middle of the pack, three-point percentage-wise, but second-to-last in attempts. What does that mean? Not enough volume. If you’re shooting 36% from three, you must be around 35-38 attempts per game, not 31, as they were.

Teams that get dominated at home and have their last playoff loss of the season normally make big changes. This may mean they will take a massive swing and get involved in the potential Kevin Durant sweepstakes. I would like to see them in free agency, target a player like Coby White, Collin Sexton, or even Norman Powell. Those are three unrestricted free agents who can help take some of the load off Cunningham’s shoulders. 

Final Thoughts

The 2025- 2026 season for the Detroit Pistons ends in heartbreak. They had a real chance of making it out of the East and reaching the NBA finals after the regular season they had. This is not a complete roster, but it clearly wasn’t enough to get over the top. Where do you think the Pistons go from here? What would you like to see them do this off-season?

As always, thank you so much for checking out my thoughts on the Detroit Pistons’ postseason shortcomings and where the franchise needs to go from here! Be sure to check out our other amazing content here at New Leaf News! Thank you for making us part of your day, and look forward to seeing you again soon.