The Detroit Pistons remind many locally of the Detroit Lions, their counterparts across Woodward Avenue.
After being a dormant NBA franchise, owner Tom Gores made the decision to overhaul the front office and change the attitude of the players and coaching staff.
The Pistons became the comeback story of the league by playing a gritty brand of basketball that involves actually playing defense, not backing down and embracing physical play.
Heading into its first playoff game in years against the New York Knicks, many do not believe Detroit can advance out of of the first round.
J.B. Bickerstaff, similar to Lions coach Dan Campbell, was able to get his roster to buy in quickly to his philosophy.
The Lions have become Super Bowl contenders by adopting a gritty mentality with a roster full of young players that are able to bounce back in the face of adversity.
Detroit was able to defeat the Knicks three out of four games this past season, en route to a 44-38 regular season record.
“It doesn’t mean nothing,” Jalen Duren said this week, via the Free Press. “It’s a whole new season that starts in the postseason and we understand the team that they are, and they’re in the postseason for a season. We’ve still gotta go out there and prove ourselves.”
Bickerstaff noted the Knicks dealt with injuries and did not have their full allotment of star players available at points the past several months.
“It’s good for you to believe that you can win. We haven’t played them at full strength, so they’re going to be a different team. We know how elite they are when it comes to clutch situations. (Jalen) Brunson and (Josh) Hart and those guys ability to make winning plays,” Bickerstaff said. “We know we’re going to have to go out and earn it. We’re confident that we can. But, we’re gonna have to earn it.”
Detroit has been able to block out outside noise, and has dealt with NBA officials who try to legislate out physical play by blowing their whistles unnecessarily.
Despite the outside world not believing, Detroit has a young roster, a reliance on defense, the right mentality and the needed outside shooting to be able to go toe-to-toe with the Knicks.
It should not shock anyone if the Pistons are able to advance past this round.
“It’s dictating the style of the fight and being who we are. We can’t show up tomorrow night expecting to be somebody different,” said Bickerstaff. “It’s dictating the style of the fight and being who we are. We can’t show up tomorrow night expecting to be somebody different. This is about improving on who you are and playing to your strengths, and we have to play to our strengths.”