Key factors behind the Detroit Pistons' turnaround - ESPN

It's been a resurgent season for the Detroit Pistons.

Detroit sits at fifth in the Eastern Conference standings heading into a matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday (9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN).

Last season, the Pistons won a franchise-low 14 games, with an NBA-record 28-game losing streak. That followed up a 2022-23 campaign when they had just 17 wins, THE third-lowest total in team history.

However, the Pistons have found their winning stride this season.

In January, the Pistons' record went over .500 BY more than five games for the first time since April 2019. That coincided with a five-game winning streak, snapping a stretch of 2,130 days between five-game win streaks.

Between Feb. 7 and March 3, Detroit won 10 of 11 games, including a victory over the defending champion Boston Celtics at home.

Vibes are high in Detroit as the playoffs arrive — it has already clinched its first winning season since 2015-16. Here are the factors that played into the Pistons' resurgence.

Detroit sits at 42 wins after winning just 14 last season. The Pistons are the first team in NBA history to triple their win total from the previous season (excluding lockout-shortened seasons).

The 28-game — and counting — increase in wins is the seventh-largest ever from the previous season. Detroit is also tied with the 2008-09 Miami Heat for the largest win increase by a team that finished with the worst record the season prior in league history.

Miami went on to lose in the first round of the playoffs that season to the Atlanta Hawks.

Cade Cunningham has been at the forefront of Detroit's success. He earned his first All-Star nod in February and going into Wednesday is averaging 25.7 points, 9.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game.

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