Three Questions Ahead Of Detroit Pistons Road Matchup Against Washington Wizards

Looking to rebound from their road loss to the Toronto Raptors, here are three questions ahead of the Detroit Pistons' Tuesday night matchup against the Washington Wizards.

Mar 15, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff talks to the media before warm up against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Following a 119-108 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, the Detroit Pistons look to get back in the win column in the first of two matchups this week at Capital One Arena against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night. 

The matchup is set to be the first meeting since the Wizards shockingly upset the Pistons 126-117 at Little Caesars Arena back on Feb. 5. Since then, the Wizards have been limping, winning two games since then, both coming against the Indiana Pacers, and are currently on an 11-game losing streak. 

The Pistons look to avoid the same fate that they did recently against the Nets by losing to a team that was in the midst of a massive losing streak. Here are three questions heading into Tuesday night’s matchup between the Pistons and Wizards.  

Can Cade Cunningham Build Off 33 Point Performance?

Mar 15, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) drives to the net against Toronto Raptors guard Ja'Kobe Walter (14) during the first half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Despite Sunday’s loss to the Raptors, the brilliance of Pistons star Cade Cunningham was on display as he scored 33 points, nine assists, and three rebounds, while shooting 50 percent from the field. Entering Tuesday’s road matchup against the Wizards, Cunningham looks to build off that performance.

The last time that Cunningham had two consecutive 30-plus point performances was back in late November in NBA Cup Group Play matchups against the Boston Celtics (42 points) and Orlando Magic (39 points), which were both losses for the Pistons. 

Cunningham putting up another 30-plus point performance against a struggling Wizards team seems very doable, as the Pistons star looks to reignite his case for the NBA MVP.

Will Duren Continue His Latest Streak Of Recording a Double-Double? 

Mar 10, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) celebrates after dunking in the third quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Throughout this season, Jalen Duren has been building an argument to be the NBA’s Most Improved Player of the Year, and a reason for that is his performance on both ends of the floor. Duren has gone on several streaks of recording double-doubles, with the latest being four games entering Tuesday night’s matchup against the Wizards. 

In the Pistons' loss to the Raptors, Duren scored 20 points and 11 rebounds on 8-of-11 shooting from the field. Given the Wizards' struggles, odds suggest that Duren’s double-double streak will extend to five games. 

Will Pistons Get Off to Strong Start?

Since returning from the NBA All-Star Break, the Pistons have struggled to get off to strong starts. This struggle was on full display during the Pistons' recent four-game losing streak. The one recent game, in which the Pistons started strong, was last Thursday’s 131-109 home win against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Pistons also got off to a strong start in a 138-100 road win against the Brooklyn Nets. When going up against the second-worst team in the Eastern Conference, record-wise, the Pistons look to take advantage of the Wizards from the opening tip.