Surprising Pistons continue to climb Eastern Conference standings

On Monday, the Detroit Pistons defeated the New York Knicks 124-119 to secure their 21st win of the season. Under J.B. Bickerstaff, the Pistons have finally started to get the most out of their young and talented roster. 

Trajan Langford spent the summer improving Detroit's floor spacing. Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Tobias Harris headlined the incoming talent. With legitimate floor spacing, Cade Cunningham has finally started to build on the promise and potential that enticed the Pistons to select him with the first overall pick in the 2021 draft.

It's no surprise, then, that Cunningham was the catalyst for Detroit's win over the Knicks. He put the roster on his back, leading the game in scoring with 36 points. 

“Think about how many guys are good enough to do that. There's a handful of guys out there that have the ability to say ‘I'm going to do it' then actually go out and get it done,” Bickerstaff said during his postgame news conference. “I think we've seen Cade make a step into the heir of the elites in this game. I'm hard-pressed to find someone who's doing it better than he's doing it right now. Impacting winning in a major way, making his teammates better.”