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NBA Cade Cunningham soars for a dunk in the Pistons' rout of the Hawks on Friday night in Detroit. Brian Sevald / Getty Images Detroit Pistons coach J. B. Bickerstaff sat stoically at the scorer’s table with his arms crossed Friday night. His demeanor was a stark contrast to the typical passion he possesses as he paces the sideline. He was still directing traffic for the Pistons, but exuded the confidence of a coach who knew his team was cruising to a 142-115 shellacking of the Atlanta Hawks. Bickerstaff’s posture was fitting, considering the Pistons notched a season-high in scoring and did so with the healthiest roster they’ve had thus far. Advertisement As dominant as Detroit has been to start the season, its win over Atlanta offered a glimpse into how dangerous this team can be when complete. The Pistons (20-5) lead the Eastern Conference, are 2. 5 games ahead of the New York Knicks and believe they’re still on an upward trajectory. “(Wins like tonight) show the world we’re serious about winning, ” Jalen Duren said as he stood in front of his locker with his postgame smoothie. “That we are serious about contending for a championship, because that’s what we do it for. We’re not here just to win games; we’re here to win championships. “I think we’re the best team in the league, and we’re going to continue to show it. ” Asked Jalen Duren how much confidence wins like tonight give the team as they get healthier. “It shows the world that we’re serious about winning, that we are serious about contending for a championship. Because that’s what we do it for. We’re not here just to win games. ” pic. twitter. com/7uk NHe Hk Ro — Hunter Patterson (@Hunter Patterson) December 13, 2025 Although Detroit will have to wait about two months to gauge whether it is one of the league’s best teams against the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Feb. 25, the team did make franchise history with the victory. The Pistons’ 20-5 start ties their second-best start through their first 25 games in the organization’s history. The 1996-97 team started 20-5, and the 2005-06 squad began its campaign 22-3, the best start in Detroit history. While Friday was the first time this season that no Pistons player scored at least 20 points, it was also the first time this season that eight Detroit players scored in double figures. Isaiah Stewart led the way with 17. Cade Cunningham (15), Duncan Robinson (15), Duren (14), Ausar Thompson (12), Ron Holland II (12), Jaden Ivey (10) and Caris Le Vert (10) all joined Stewart. Advertisement Tobias Harris and Javonte Green were each a point away from reaching the double-figure mark, both finishing with nine on the evening. The Pistons posted 58. 2/41. 4/82. 8 shooting splits in what was their most complete offensive performance yet. “It shows how good we are (when we’re) healthy, and we’ve still got a ways to go, ” Holland said. “We’ve still got a lot of learning to do, but I feel like we’re taking steps in the right direction as a whole team. ” Apart from Detroit’s variance in scoring options, let’s look deeper into the box score at what makes this team so successful. Bickerstaff has been adamant since his tenure with the Pistons began last season that their ceiling hinges on their defense. Detroit forced Atlanta into 20 turnovers, converting them into 27 points. The Pistons pushed in transition, using their athleticism to run and score 30 fast-break points. Stewart credited the five-day gap between games with helping them fine-tune their defensive principles. “Just being hungry, finishing possessions, finishing with rebounds, boxing out, closing all the way to shooters, ” Stewart said as he proudly toted the BTA belt over his shoulder. “I think during the second half, they made, what, three 3s? So just those details, (Bickerstaff) has been preaching about, and I thought we did a good job with that tonight. ” In fact, the Hawks did shoot 3 of 17 from behind the arc during the final 24 minutes. None of Detroit’s starters played a minute during the final frame, but each of them spent a good portion on their feet cheering their teammates on. Cunningham turned his towel into a propeller multiple times. Detroit’s bench produced 77 of the season-high 142 points. The joy the starters showed is not only indicative of how close this team is, but also of the confidence they have in one another. Advertisement “There’s no bench unit, ” Duren said during his walk-off interview. “The guys who come off the bench for us are starting-caliber players. So we’re lucky to have a team of guys who all stay locked in, all execute, who all understand the mission. We’re all going for the same goal. ” Detroit’s depth has carried it throughout the season. The camaraderie the Pistons share, combined with their depth and the fact that they’re still trending upward with no signs of losing steam, speaks to how serious this team is. We’re nearly midway through December, and Detroit is proving why president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon had the right approach this summer to lean into internal growth. The more reps the healthy Pistons get, the less comfortable opposing teams should feel when seeing Detroit on their schedule. The group the Pistons’ front office has assembled has taken the proverbial leap and seems to be structured to sustain the success achieved last season. Detroit will be a major player in the East for the remainder of this season. And within the locker room, they believe this is just the beginning. “I still think there were areas we could be better in, ” Duren said. “But that’s the standard for every game. Every time we come out here and play, the standard is to be elite defensively. ” Hunter Patterson is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Detroit Pistons. Before joining the NBA staff, Hunter was an editor on The Athletic's news desk and provided occasional Sacramento Kings coverage. Prior to The Athletic, he worked for the NBA as a broadcasting assistant. Hunter graduated from Loyola Marymount University and earned his master's degree in Specialized Journalism at the University of Southern California.