NBA Analyst Doubles Down on Bold Detroit Pistons Prediction

Last season, the Detroit Pistons stunned the basketball world with a historic turnaround that resulted in a postseason appearance. Despite all they were able to accomplish in just a year's time, one analyst is pumping the brakes on them sustaining this rapid upward trajectory.

After making some changes in the front office and to the coaching staff, the Pistons had a clean slate following a 2024 season that saw them post the league's worst record. This overhaul yielded massive dividends, as the franchise was able to get itself back on track seemingly in the blink of an eye.

The young group rallied behind new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and their new veteran leaders, resulting in the Pistons tripling their win total in 2025. Led by a breakout campaign from Cade Cunningham, they secured a top-six seed in the East and were able to get some much-needed postseason experience under their belts.

Pistons J.B. Bickerstaff — Feb 28, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff against the Denver Nuggets in the first quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Amid their strong showing last season, many have the Pistons as a budding threat in the East moving forward. However, Tim Bontemps isn't expecting another massive leap from Detroit in 2026. In a recent column for ESPN, he made a prediction that the team will end up falling short of its initial win projection of 47.

During a recent episode of the Hoop Collective podcast, Bontemps doubled down on this stance. Looking back at history, he is expecting a much more modest regular-season campaign from Cunningham and company.

"I think Detroit will fall short of 47 wins," Bontemps said. "They had a historic jump last year. It was a great season. J.B. Bickerstaff did a terrific job, Cade Cunningham became an All-NBA player. They won their first playoff game in almost 20 years had that fun series against the Knicks in the first round. A lot of times when you see a team have that kind of a leap there's a bit of a consolidation the next season. They did lose some key pieces, they do have to reorient the roster a little bit."

Tim Bontemps on the Pistons this upcoming season

“ I think Detroit will fall short of 47 wins. They had a historic jump last year. It was a great season. J.B. Bickerstaff did a terrific job. Cade Cunningham became an All-NBA player. They won their first playoff game in almost… pic.twitter.com/QIR6PJnUUL
— Pistons Talk (@Pistons__Talk) September 3, 2025

While the Pistons did have some holes to fill this summer, Trajan Langdon found viable plug-and-play options like Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert to address the voids. There are also wild cards such as Jaden Ivey and Ausar Thompson to watch out for, as they could take steps forward in their development.

Given the weakened state of the Eastern Conference, there's a chance the Pistons are able to reach this projected win total. However, it will all come down to what the core pieces look like after another full summer of training.

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