Detroit Pistons' power rankings position compromised after win streak snaps

The Detroit Pistons are rebuilding themselves after losing two straight games to snap their 13-game winning streak.

Their win against the Miami Heat suggests that the Pistons will be just fine in the long run. NBA.com writer John Schuhmann conducted his weekly power rankings and placed the Pistons at No. 5, one spot lower than the previous week.

"After winning 13 straight games, the Pistons dropped two in a row, faltering down the stretch in Boston and again against the Magic. But they recovered to get a quality, rest-disadvantage win in Miami on Saturday, though they almost blew a 22-point, fourth-quarter lead," Schuhmann wrote.

"The only time the Pistons shot more effectively than they did in Miami on Saturday was in Milwaukee seven days earlier (when the Bucks were without Giannis Antetokounmpo). Their second and third meetings with the Bucks are this week, and both teams will be playing the second game of a back-to-back when they meet in Detroit this Saturday."

Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham drives to the basket against Miami Heat guard Davion Mitchell. | Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

Pistons still top five in NBA power rankings

The only teams that rank higher than the Pistons are the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, and defending champion, Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Pistons have been able to win games because of their presence in the paint, even without their best player Jalen Duren.

"Their win in Miami on Saturday was one of the Pistons’ best shooting games of the season, but they were still outscored from beyond the arc. Only the Thunder (9-1) have a better record than the Pistons (10-2) in games they’ve been outscored from 3-point range. Detroit has taken 56.9% of its shots in the paint, which would be the highest rate for any team in the last 13 seasons," Schuhmann wrote.

If the Pistons can find a way to get better shooting from beyond the three-point line, they could become a true threat in the Eastern Conference. That is the one thing holding them back from being a true contender compared to the other teams in the East.

The Pistons are back in action tonight as they host the Atlanta Hawks at Little Caesars Arena. Tipoff for the game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET.

Later in the week, they will travel to face off against their Central Division rival, Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday. The Pistons will host a back-to-back against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday and the Bucks again on Saturday.