Don't Panic Over the Detroit Pistons' Slump Yet
The Detroit Pistons are slumping at the worst point in the season to be struggling. Is it time to panic?
The Detroit Pistons have lost two straight games and four of their last five.
During this stretch, the team has played a flawed brand of basketball. They rank in the bottom five in offensive rating and only slightly better on defense (21st in the league). The Pistons are shooting just 31.2% from beyond the arc—26th in the NBA.
For a team that, prior to this slump, boasted one of the league’s best defenses and net ratings since the calendar flipped to 2025, this recent skid has raised some legitimate concerns as the NBA Playoffs approach.
Still, there’s no need to panic about the state of the Pistons just yet.
Detroit has been without some combination of Cade Cunningham, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren, Ron Holland, Marcus Sasser, and Isaiah Stewart in every game during this slump. Jaden Ivey also belongs on that list, given he’s Detroit’s starting shooting guard when healthy.
That’s not an excuse for losing to a Memphis team without Ja Morant, or for blowing an 18-point lead to a Sacramento Kings team that, this season, has been average at best. But the injuries and absences are certainly a factor that must be considered when evaluating how concerned fans should be about the Pistons right now.
The timing of this slump is likely the biggest reason for the uneasiness surrounding the team. Detroit has just three regular-season games remaining—all of them against teams ahead of them in the Eastern Conference standings: the New York Knicks and the Milwaukee Bucks (twice). New York is the likely first-round playoff matchup for Detroit.
“We’re in the same spot. We’re confident. We’re hungry,” said Cunningham after Monday night’s loss to Sacramento. “We are looking forward to getting better each and every game. The last two games being losses, obviously that’s not the outcome we wanted, but it’s still something we can take away from both of them. We’re going to watch film on this, take as much as we can away from it, and be better for these last three games.”
Cunningham recently returned from a calf injury that sidelined him for six games dating back to late March. He scored 35 points and dished out five assists against the Kings.
Duren, who missed the Memphis game last Saturday, returned against Sacramento. But after a strong first quarter, he spent most of the remaining game on the bench due to foul trouble.
Holland, Sasser, and Stewart have all returned from suspensions stemming from their involvement in the altercation during the March 30 game against Minnesota.
Two major returns, however, remain in question.
Tobias Harris missed two games before briefly returning against the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 2, but he exited early and hasn’t played since due to right Achilles tendinopathy. The Pistons are understandably being cautious with Harris, especially with a playoff spot already secured.
Jaden Ivey’s status for the remainder of the season also remains unclear. He hasn’t played since Detroit’s win over the Orlando Magic on January 1. According to the timeline shared in the Pistons’ most recent medical update, a new report on Ivey’s condition should be coming soon. If he’s able to return in any capacity, it would give Detroit a much-needed lift in scoring, shooting, and ball-handling.
As the Pistons begin to get healthier, there’s no reason to hit the panic button just yet.
This is a team that won just 14 games last year. The turnaround has been remarkable. As one of the best teams in the league, statistically, since the start of 2025, they have earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to dropping a few games. Especially while short-handed.
These final three games will serve as a chance for Detroit to re-establish its identity as a tough, physical defensive unit—one that’s trending toward full strength with the NBA Playoffs right around the corner.
The Pistons have shattered all expectations that were had for them. Now that expectations have been raised to a much higher level, they just need to do it, again.