Pistons rekindle championship era: The Bad Boys blueprint is back in Detroit

When the Pistons ruled the NBA, their identity mirrored the DNA of Detroit itself—hardworking, blue-collar, resilient. The city’s mythos was built on toughness, and the Pistons embodied it with their own uncompromising edge. That combination didn’t just produce championships; it produced culture. It birthed the original Bad Boys of the late ’80s and early ’90s, and later resurfaced in the early 2000s with the “Going to Work” Pistons.

Nov 18, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) celebrates after a victory over the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Now, a new generation of Bad Boys has arrived—and the culture is alive once again. On Tuesday, Detroit secured its 11th straight victory with a win over the Atlanta Hawks, improving to an Eastern Conference–best 13–2.

The truest measure of whether this team is a real reincarnation of Pistons past is its defense. That’s the barometer. That’s how you know if the chain is real—and right now, Detroit’s chain is anything but fake.

The Pistons currently rank second in defensive rating (110.6), fourth in opponent points per game (110.6), and third in blocks per game (6.1).

The Dennis Rodmans, Ben Wallaces, and Bill Laimbeers once embodied the city’s grit and toughness—and Isaiah Stewart, Jalen Duren, and Ausar Thompson have now taken up that same mantle. But it’s the point guards of these eras that have driven the Motor City back toward the promised land.

06/07/1990;Detroit, Michigan, USA; Pistons' Dennis Rodman and Bill Laimbeer go up for the ball during game two of the NBA Finals, Mandatory Credit: Archie, Detroit Free Press, USA Today Network | Detroit Free Press-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Content Services LLC

Every great Pistons team of the past had a point guard who played like Smokey Robinson & The Miracles on the hardwood—a guard with the smooth control of Stevie Wonder on the keys and the fiery passion of The Temptations on Ain’t Too Proud to Beg.

That was Isiah Thomas. That was Chauncey Billups. And now, that’s Cade Cunningham.

Cade Cunningham's last 5 games:

25 PTS, 10 AST
46 PTS, 11 AST
26 PTS, 11 AST
34 PTS, 10 AST
31 PTS, 10 AST

He's the 5th player this century with 5 straight 25+ PT, 10+ AST games, joining Russell Westbrook, Trae Young, Luka Dončić, and Nikola Jokić 🤩 pic.twitter.com/KBQfdAVSUo

— NBA (@NBA) November 19, 2025

Fresh off a Third-Team All-NBA selection and his first All-Star nod in the 2024–25 season, Cunningham is already writing an even stronger sequel, averaging 27 points, 5 rebounds, and 10 assists to lead this team to its best start since he'd been drafted.

But it's not just Cunningham's best start; this 15-game start is Detroit’s best since the 1990–91 and 2005–06 seasons, when both Pistons teams opened with the same record.

Those squads were already championship-validated by then. And much like the 2004 Pistons—who honored the Bad Boys tradition with their own subtle remix on the way to the franchise’s third NBA title—this current iteration is carving out its own identity while keeping the hoop religion of its predecessors intact.

The original Bad Boys were built primarily through the draft. Isaiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, and Dennis Rodman—all Hall of Famers—were homegrown Pistons.

The 2004 champions, however, were constructed mainly through trades and free agency: Chauncey Billups arrived as a free-agent signing, Ben Wallace via trade, and both Rasheed Wallace and Richard Hamilton were in-season trade additions. Tayshaun Prince was the lone drafted starter from that group.

Mar 17, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) reacts after a score next to center Jalen Duren (0) during the first half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Today’s Pistons most closely resemble the original blueprint. This roster has been forged largely through the draft—nine of the 15 players, excluding two-ways, were selected by Detroit. That homegrown foundation is a major reason this team feels so uniquely special.

Especially considering where they came from. Two years ago at this time, the Pistons had dropped 12 straight games and had just two wins on the season.

And it’s the hard times that make this rise so sweet. Detroit is a city that knows how to get up off the mat. It has fought through its own adversity to become a resurgent city once again. And just like the city, the Pistons have climbed their way back. The pride is intact. The culture is alive. And Detroit Basketball is back.

Who said the third movie couldn’t be as good as the original or the sequel?