Why Detroit Pistons Are NBA's Best Team Going Into Trade Deadline

The Detroit Pistons are one of the best teams in the NBA as the calendar turns to February.

With the trade deadline looming, the Pistons have a chance to upgrade their team, but there is reason to believe that Detroit is already optimally built for this season. NBA.com writer John Schuhmann has the Pistons at number one for the second consecutive week in his league-wide power rankings.

"The Pistons went 2-1 on a tough trip out West, handling the Nuggets and Warriors, but coming up empty offensively in Phoenix. Then they returned home and beat the Nets by 53 points," Schuhmann wrote.

"The rest of the Pistons’ four-game homestand includes another meeting with the Nuggets and their second with the Knicks. They beat New York by 31 in the first meeting (also in Detroit), but will be at a rest disadvantage on Friday."

Detroit Pistons guard Marcus Sasser dribbles in the second half against the Brooklyn Nets. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Pistons Stay on Top in Power Rankings

The Pistons have the Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, and Oklahoma City Thunder on their heels in the top five of the power rankings, but the Pistons are still ahead of all of them. It's a testament as to how the team is viewed with the All-Star break in sight.

Two big reasons why the Pistons have been so successful are their defense and the second unit, both of which are among the best in the NBA.

"The Pistons still rank 25th in turnover rate (15.4 per 100 possessions). But on defense, they’ve forced 17.3 per 100, what would be the highest opponent turnover rate for any team in the last six seasons. They’ve committed 35 fewer turnovers than their opponents over their last four games, with their differential against Brooklyn on Sunday (8-25) being tied for the second biggest in any game this season," Schuhmann wrote.

"The Pistons still have the league’s third-ranked bench for the season, and Isaiah Stewart remains a candidate for both Kia Defensive Player of the Year and Kia Sixth Man of the Year. But bench minutes weren’t good over their three-game trip out West, when they were outscored by 22.2 points per 100 possessions in Jalen Duren’s 56 minutes off the floor. They cut a 19-point deficit down to two three midway through the third quarter on Thursday, but then saw the Suns open things up again with a 15-2 run."

The Pistons are back in action tomorrow at home against the Nuggets. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET inside Little Caesars Arena.