By George B. Eichorn
The 86th season of Detroit Pistons basketball starts with a rare mid-week home game against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, October 20 at Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit.
The Pistons-Celtics game is part of an Opening Day tripleheader by ESPN. Tipoff is 3 p.m. and the game is expected to sell out. The expectations among Detroit fans are high after the Pistons won an amazing 60 games a season ago (.732 winning percentage) including a Central Division title and the overall first seed in the NBA Eastern Conference.Detroit won its opening-round playoff series with the Orlando Magic. The Pistons ended their 11-game postseason losing streak at home – longest in NBA history – with its Game 2 win. That streak dated to 2008. In the Eastern quarterfinals the Pistons became the 15th team in league history to overcome a 3-1 series deficit and the first no. 1 seed to overcome 3-1 and win a 7th and deciding game at home since the 2016 Golden State Warriors.
The Pistons lost 4 games to 3 in the Eastern Conference semifinals despite holding a 2-0 series lead. They lost Game 7 at LCA and were eliminated from any further playoff games.
Gone from last year’s team are Tobias Harris and his 18.1 post-season points per game (13.3 in the regular season), Isaiah (Beef Stew) Stewart, Caris LaVert, Marcus Sasser and Wendel Moore Jr. Losing Harris especially hard as he was a main cog in the Pistons excellent season.
Pistons president Trajan Langdon and Coach JB Bickerstaff acquired a few new faces: forward/center John Collins, guard/forward Kevin Huerter who was added late last season, ex-Spartan Gary Harris, guard Isaiah Joe, small forward Tauren Price and first-round (No. 21 overall) draft pick small forward Karim Lopez.
The Pistons signed restricted free agent center Jalen Duren after a long standoff; he’s vital to Detroit’s chances. His postseason performance was not up to par as all-NBA star guard Cade Cunningham carried the load against Orlando and Cleveland. Duren averaged only 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds, not nearly enough. Former Michigan Wolverine Duncan Robinson is back along with Paul Reed, Ron Howard II, Ebuka Okorie, Deniss Jenkins, Javonte Green and Tolu Smith.
Detroit will not be able to sneak up on opponents like they did a season ago. There’s no resting on the laurels. If the Pistons are going to advance to the Conference finals or the NBA Finals it will require a more balanced offense with dependable three-point scoring and the aggressive defense preached by Bickerstaff and his coaching staff.
The Pistons have plenty of national television looks with ESPN (5 games), NBC (7) and Peacock (5) showcasing Detroit. Locally, George Blaha returns for his record 51st season alongside TV analyst Greg Kelser (his 40th) on The Spot – Detroit 20 that airs 71 regular season Detroit Pistons games, free, over-the-air.
“Scripps Sports and The Spot – Detroit 20 are proud to be the broadcast television partners of one of the NBA’s most storied franchises,” said Mike Murri, regional general manager, E.W. Scripps Company. “Detroit has an incredible basketball tradition, and we’re committed to delivering the high-quality local sports coverage that Pistons fans deserve. This is exactly the kind of meaningful community partnership that drives everything we do at Scripps.”“For the first time in more than two decades, Pistons fans across Detroit and throughout Michigan will have more ways than ever to watch and listen to Detroit Basketball, including free, over-the-air television and radio, along with streaming,” said Pistons President of Business Operations Melanie Harris. “This is an exciting moment for our organization and, most importantly, for our fans. Together with Scripps Sports, DAZN and Audacy’s 97.1 The Ticket, we’re making it easier for fans across our region to connect with the Pistons, follow the team throughout the season and be part of the energy surrounding Detroit Basketball. We couldn’t be more excited to bring the Pistons closer to more fans, wherever and however they choose to follow us.”
The Spot – Detroit 20 will host a special hour-long pregame show prior to the team’s home opener vs. Boston on October 20 live from Little Caesars Arena. Pistons regular season full coverages begins on Oct. 23 and Oct. 25. The games will also feature a half-hour pregame show and half-hour postgame show.
Reach George Eichorn at georgeeichorn@gmail.com or on X/Twitter at sandgsports99. Purchase his book, “Detroit Sports Broadcasters On the Air” at www.amazon.com or arcadio.com for $19 or less.
