Going into this season, many believed the East would be a far weaker conference, and while it may have the same top-tier punch, the competition has proven to be better than many projected. A big part of that success has been the ascendance of the Pistons, who have the best record in the entire NBA at 41-13, leading the conference by 5.5 games, and emerging as a true threat to make the Finals.
Detroit has been led by an MVP-caliber breakout by Cade Cunningham and an All-Star leap from Jalen Duren. But the team has its flaws, and considering this group has never even won a playoff series, there are some questions about how viable they’ll be in the postseason.
The Knicks and Cavaliers came into the season as the two favorites in the conference, and though they’ve each had their struggles, they’ve steadied themselves and look destined for top four seeds. But then there are those pesky, overachieving Celtics spoiling the party at 36-19, alone in second place in the Eastern Conference.
Boston has exceeded all expectations, and even without Jayson Tatum playing a game, they have a top 10 offense and defense, and the third-best Net Rating in the league. Nobody thought they’d contend for a title this season, and maybe they won’t, but they’re a real threat that demands respect.
Bryce Simon fears Celtics matchup for Pistons
On a recent episode of the Game Theory Podcast, Bryce Simon, who hosts the Pistons Pulse, and Sam Vecenie were power ranking contenders, and while Simon had the Cavs and Knicks ahead of the Celtics, he conceded that, from a Pistons standpoint, the Celtics scare him most.
He talked about how he fears the matchup because the Celtics don’t turn the ball over, dominate the offensive rebounds, and hit threes at a high volume, three areas that could cause trouble for Detroit.
The Pistons have thrived on forcing turnovers and winning the possession battle, while outside shooting is an area of concern, especially going into the playoffs. Simo pointed out that each of these teams’ regular-season matchups has been a battle and that the Celtics are uniquely well-equipped to give his team fits.
Without Tatum, or with a compromised version, the Cs may not have the talent edge, but they’ll certainly have the edge when it comes to playoff experience. That championship DNA can make a massive difference against a young, unproven Pistons team that hasn’t earned many battle scars yet.
The Celtics have thrived on winning the math battle and the margins all season long, and Simon’s logic here makes perfect sense. If Mazzulla-ball carries over into the playoffs with this group, there’s no reason to think they can’t pull off a major upset in a positive matchup like this one.