Upcoming Detroit Pistons Schedule Set To Solidify Team's Contender Status

The Pistons are about to run through their most difficult set of on-court challenges so far this season.

The gauntlet of contenders they're set to face over the next five games will certainly serve as a measuring stick for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern conference Detroit Pistons. The Pistons still lead the NBA in win percentage behind the No. 1 seed in the Western conference Oklahoma City Thunder.

OKC's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is still the betting favorite to win the NBA MVP award with -140 odds. The Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic sits behind him at +270 and the Detroit Pistons' Cade Cunningham places third with +550 odds.

This means Gilgeous-Alexander is a heavy favorite to win the award at the moment. However, Gilgeous-Alexander can only afford to miss eight more games before being declared ineligible for regular season awards. Basketball fans all around the world are going to learn a lot more about the Detroit Pistons when this stretch of games are over.

The gauntlet starts with Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs

The Pistons have 27 regular season games left. So much of their story has yet to be written yet.

There's a lot of convincing Cade Cunningham can do to MVP voters. There's a lot of changing of minds Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and the Pistons can do to doubters with these next six games. The San Antonio Spurs trot into Little Caesars Arena tonight at 7:00 p.m. Eastern on NBC Peacock. It will be the first time these two powerhouses face off during the regular season.

Last season, Detroit handled the Spurs during the season series. Cade Cunningham and the emerging Pistons won both games against San Antonio last season by 15 points or more. Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama sits behind Cunningham in the NBA MVP award betting odds at a distant fourth place with +2500 odds. The Pistons play against San Antonio to kick off and to end the upcoming six-game stretch.

Two wins against San Antonio and containing the beast that is Wembanyama will say a lot about what Detroit is capable of in the postseason. Everything in the postseason needs to be earned, but it would be naive not to think this isn't a test of strength for Bickertstaff and his young players.

Detroit plays James Harden and the Cavaliers twice

The Spurs aren't the only contender Detroit will be facing twice in a short amount of time. The superstar duo of James Harden and Donovan Mitchell along with the rest of the Cleveland Cavaliers travel to Detroit this Friday February 27 at 7:00pm Eastern on ESPN.

Cade has a chance to lead the Pistons through an absolute gauntlet and when he does, the MVP race is gonna get even tighter. pic.twitter.com/1awV709ofp
— Detroit Deadpool (@DetroitDeadpool) February 22, 2026

The OKC Thunder without Gilgeous-Alexander or Jalen Williams snapped Cleveland's seven-game win streak yesterday afternoon. Detroit plays against that same Thunder team this Wednesday night on ESPN at 7:30pm Eastern.

Following a game against the 30-26 Orlando Magic, Detroit plays their second games against the Cleveland Cavaliers and the San Antonio Spurs. The Thunder rank No. 1 and the Spurs rank No. 3 in defensive rating. The Cavaliers and Magic both rank inside the top-13 in defensive rating. The Pistons themselves are ranked No. 2 in defensive rating.

The Pistons have a win-loss record of 22-6 against teams with a record above .500. Not only will we learn more about Cade Cunningham's MVP race and Detroit's contender status, but the foundation this team is built on and the identity of how this team plays will shine in these next six regular season games.