Are the Eastern Conference leading Detroit Pistons for real?

With the top seed in the east, and a current 10-game winning streak, the Detroit Pistons have come into the season with a mission to show they are contenders.

Now after taking care of business without several key players against a struggling Indiana Pacers team in a 127-112 win, they have a two and a half game lead over the second place Cleveland Cavaliers.

Now the question on everyone’s mind is just how good are these Pistons, and could they be real contenders come postseason?

Well the first thing to look at with this team is their mix of youth and experience. The Pistons have one of the youngest teams in the league, with an average age of 25.9. Despite this youth, it’s clear the Pistons are ahead of schedule.

Cade Cunningham may have had the most impressive development over the past few seasons, becoming a true leader and a star in the league after struggling to stay healthy and consistent early on.

Jalen Duren has broken out early this year, and guys like Ausar Thompson, Ronald Holland, Isaiah Stewart and Daniss Jenkins have all impressed as they lead the young core this season.

Then you have the few guys who have experience like Tobias Harris, Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson all playing key minutes so far. This is a great blend for the regular season. Guys will be able to lean on each other, with the veterans taking over when they need to, and the younger guys being the stars when other teams are getting tired.

The Pistons will continue to be one of the biggest threats during the regular season and they’ll head into the playoffs as a top seed, but will they be able to continue it once they’re there?

That’s the real fear with this team right now. Only Robinson has made it to an NBA finals for this team, and the vast majority of the team only has playoff experience in their 4-2 first round series exit to the New York Knicks.

That’s a major step back from some of the other rising teams in the East. The Cavaliers have been in the postseason each of the past few seasons, along with the Knicks and the Orlando Magic.

The Cavs and Magic have similar rosters with young stars, though they seem farther along in team development, while the Knicks are filled with talented veterans.

It’s not impossible for a team to break through in the playoffs ahead of schedule though. Both the Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder had a limited number of playoff experience before making their runs last year.

A cause for concern with the Pistons is the strength of schedule they have had so far. Their toughest challenge so far this season was the Cavaliers, where they lost 116-95. It’s okay for them to lose type of games in the regular season, as long as they learn from the loss.

If they can keep getting better against the high-caliber competition, while still beating the teams they’re supposed to, they can earn the right to be contenders come postseason.

The team will get a massive boost when Jadon Ivey returns to the team too, as long as they can work him back into the lineup without messing with the team’s chemistry too much.

J.B. Bickerstaff has done a great job getting the Pistons turned around in a short period of time. In a year where the East is vulnerable, this could be a real opportunity for Detroit.

Don’t read into a 10-game winning streak too much, but know that as long as the team keeps developing like this, they’ll earn a real contender title come postseason.