Detroit Pistons Placed in Same Tier as Knicks Before Final Matchup

NBA power rankings place the Pistons and the Knicks in the same tier.

Jan 13, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) controls the ball against New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (25) during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

On Thursday, the New York Knicks will pay a visit to the Detroit Pistons for the fourth and final regular-season matchup between the two teams. With the playoffs around the corner and the Eastern Conference standings set to be finalized soon, a Pistons-Knicks round-one matchup is becoming likely.

With a tiered power ranking system, The Athletic recently placed the Pistons and the Knicks in a similar spot. Viewed as Tier 2 teams, the two Eastern Conference playoff contenders are considered to be “in a good place.”

The Knicks come in higher than the Pistons at No. 9. It’s no surprise, considering they are just days away from locking up the third seed in the East. That’s a two-spot jump for the Knicks, who seem to be hitting their stride down the final stretch of the regular season.

Jan 13, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) drives to the basket against New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

“Brunson’s injury allowed others to step up, though, and New York survived his absence by going 9-6. Brunson is back in time with him needing three more games to reach the 65-game award threshold,” The Athletic’s Law Murray writes.

As for the Pistons, they didn’t see any moves on this list. Still No. 12, the Pistons are the final Tier 2 team before the rankings get to “The Bubble” territory.

“Cunningham deserves a great deal of credit for emerging as a 25-point scorer who averages more than nine assists per game. Detroit also did well to hire the right coach in J.B. Bickerstaff, while complementing the young talent on hand with veterans.”

The Pistons’ emergence has been historic. Last year, they had 14 wins. This year, they are making the playoffs and avoiding the Play-In Tournament. Cade Cunningham is an All-Star. The young core players like Ausar Thompson, Jalen Duren, and Jaden Ivey all improved and silenced any criticism followed by trade suggestions.

Detroit even brought in some key helpers, like potential Sixth Man of the Year, Malik Beasley, and the potential Teammate of the Year, Tobias Harris.

The Pistons wouldn’t enter a series against the Knicks with a happy-to-be-here attitude. They simply haven’t carried that type of mentality all season long, and that’s part of the reason why they’ve found so much success.

But at the end of the day, the Pistons are successful this year. The goal wasn’t playoffs—it was simply to get better. Everything past doubling their win total is a major bonus.