Despite owning their best start since 2005–06 and sitting at a blistering 15–2, the Detroit Pistons still can’t shake the national disrespect surrounding their rise. Their latest win, a 122–115 victory over the Pacers for their 13th straight, only adds fuel to the fire.
Cade Cunningham once again set the tone with 24 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists, while Jalen Duren bullied Indiana’s front line for 17 points and 12 rebounds. The Pistons’ depth continues to shine too — 47 bench points, led by 15 points from Caris LeVert and 12 points from Jaden Ivey .
The Pistons are healthy, balanced, and playing some of the most connected basketball in the league . Yet somehow, the national conversation still frames this run as a fluke. Why? And what are people missing? Let’s dive in.
Disrespect Fuels Pistons’ Rise As They Keep Proving Critics Wrong
The Pistons Are Done Asking for Respect
Let’s be real: nothing about the Pistons’ start should shock anyone. Last season, the Pistons went from a 28-game losing streak and a 14-win embarrassment to tripling their win total and crashing the playoff picture. That rise — fueled by a fearless young core that pushed the Knicks to six games — was the league’s best storyline.
But that was last year’s narrative. This year’s team isn’t an underdog. They’re not a feel-good surprise. They’re a group with a defined culture, an identity rooted in toughness, and young players who tasted success and spent the summer grinding for more.
So no, this 15–2 start isn’t some magical, unexpected run. This team is taking the next step toward elite status , and the league needs to treat them like it.
Why the Pistons’ Depth Disrespect Doesn’t Match Reality
Whenever national pundits talk about the Pistons, the conversation begins and ends with Cunningham — and while he deserves every bit of that spotlight, it also exposes how little attention the second unit gets. The most immense disrespect is that the Pistons lack real depth.
The season has already proved otherwise. When the Pistons were missing seven rotational players, who kept the winning streak alive? The role players. The same group that critics dismiss as “not talented enough.”
The Pistons have one of the deepest rosters in the league, and that depth is precisely why they can maintain pressure, survive injuries, and outlast teams for 48 minutes. It’s time the national media stopped pretending this bench isn’t legit. Whether it be a two-way guy like Daniss Jenkins or guys like Javonte Green and Paul Reed , put some respect on their name.
The Pistons Are Winning. The Respect Still Isn’t.
In the latest NBA power rankings , the two-loss Pistons sit at fourth. Meanwhile, the four-loss Nuggets and Rockets — including a Houston team the Pistons already beat — are somehow slotted ahead of them. If that isn’t disrespect, what is?
Critics fall back on the schedule, as if a team winning the games in front of them suddenly doesn’t count. And you already know how this plays out: if the Pistons had dropped those same matchups, the narrative would flip to “See, last year was a fluke.” It’s a no-win standard designed to minimize what this team is accomplishing.
But the truth is simple. You play who’s on your schedule, and the Pistons are handling business. That should matter — and it’s time people acknowledged it.
The Last Word
What the Detroit Pistons are doing isn’t a fluke, luck, or some feel-good surprise. It’s the natural evolution of a young, hungry roster that finally knows exactly who it is. This team has survived injuries, silenced arenas, and turned last year’s breakthrough into this year’s standard. They’re not chasing validation — they’re stacking wins, building habits, and proving every night that the culture they built is authentic.
The rest of the league can keep searching for excuses. The Pistons don’t need their approval. They aren’t trying to be the best story in basketball anymore; they’re trying to be the best team in basketball. And at 15–2, if people still want to disrespect them, that’s on them — not the Pistons.
Featured Image: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
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