Detroit Pistons: Breaking down their recent struggles

The Detroit Pistons went through a six-game losing streak that saw them get dominated at home and on the road. They broke it, but are far from perfect.

The Detroit Pistons showed signs of improvement when the season started. They have had some flashes over the past month, including a win over the streaking Boston Celtics on Saturday night.

Unfortunately for them, the things that brought them that win have been extremely inconsistent. More often than not, they’ve been outplayed by their opponents on a nightly basis, which brought them to their current position in the Eastern Conference standings.

December and January games aren’t when championships are won, but the importance of these games is extremely understated. They can determine tiebreakers and seeding for the playoffs. For baseball, it’s the dog days of summer, but basketball is all about December and January. The Pistons have to get things turned around sooner rather than later if they want to show their early success wasn’t a fluke.

Detroit was outscored by 79 points in its recent six-game losing streak, and the offense looked anemic at times. The defense also gave up at least 110 points in every game except their most recent loss to the Charlotte Hornets and their slump-busting win over Boston.

The Pistons just aren’t playing up to the standards that are required of them, and it’s not the level that was expected with the addition of head coach Dwane Casey during the offseason. After this recent 1-6 stretch, they have to figure out what they’re doing wrong.