Getty Blake Griffin #23 of the Detroit Pistons tries to get a shot off around Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets.
The Detroit Pistons started 14-6 over the first 2 months of last season. As far along as the second week of January, they still remained above .500 at 22-18. An 8-game losing streak forced a trade for Blake Griffin and the eventual ouster of head coach Stan Van Gundy. Also, a 39-43 record and another NBA Playoffs miss.
Turn the page to March 2019, and the Pistons are 31-31 and stand at the No. 6 slot in the Eastern Conference standings. A couple minor moves were made to clear up cap space, but the biggest difference has been 1st-year head coach Dwane Casey, hired after last season after Toronto let him go.
Just like he did over 5 playoff appearances with the Raptors, Casey is maximizing the talent on his roster, including one of the best frontcourts in the league in Griffin and 6-foot-11, 279-pound center Andre Drummond.
After topping his old team 112-107 Sunday to get back to .500, Casey is barreling the Pistons to just their third postseason appearance since 2009.
Tonight’s goal is a winning record, as they host the Minnesota Timberwolves (7 p.m. EST, Fox Sports Regional). Let’s take a look at the Pistons’ playoff predictions, potential seeds and odds.
Pistons Playoff Chances & Potential Seeds
The Pistons will have problems moving up seed-wise, as they trail the 5th-seeded Boston Celtics by 6.5 games. According to Playoff Status, Detroit possesses an 90 percent chance of clinching a playoff berth. The 5-seed is the highest likelihood at 54 percent, while the 7-seed sits at 23 percent and the 8-seed at 13 percent.
This would pit the Pistons against the Indiana Pacers in the first round. The teams have split the season series to this point, with Detroit taking the last one 113-109 on Feb. 25.
ESPN’s BPI also picks Detroit at the No. 6 spot, but has them facing Philadelphia. It calls for the Pistons to finish 41-41 and 2 games ahead of the Brooklyn Nets.
Tonight’s game is important per Playoff Status. A Pistons win bumps their postseason chances to 93 percent, as opposed to 87 percent with a loss. A win would put the chances at the 6-seed at 60 percent.
Most Important Games Down the Road for the Celtics
Fortunately for the Pistons, they possess a pretty middle-of-the-road strength of schedule out of Eastern Conference teams according to Playoff Status. The next 6 games are all against teams with a .500 record or worse, including a home tilt with the Lakers on March 15.
Team Rankings pegs their final record at 41-41. That includes 5 games with less than 40 percent win probability (the toughest being a March 24 road trip to Golden State). Winning future road trips to Miami (39.9 percent) and Brooklyn (42.1 percent) would push the Pistons ahead of fellow competitors for the remaining seeds.
It also puts the onus on Detroit taking care of business against the lesser teams of the league. Games in this category are home against Chicago (79.5 percent) on Sunday, as well as road trips to Cleveland (66.3 percent) and Phoenix (63 percent) later this month.
Another imperative: find ways to perservere on the road. The Pistons have just a 12-18 mark away from Little Caesar’s Arena, and 11 of their last 18 games are away.