Won by 53 points—and surged to No. 1 in the league: An NBA’s once-historically bad team is officially on the rise

On the morning of February 3 (Beijing time), the NBA released its latest Power Rankings, and the Detroit Pistons once again stood alone at the top. This marks two consecutive weeks with the Pistons ranked No. 1 in the league. The Thunder followed in second place, while the Spurs leapfrogged the Rockets to claim third.

The current top ten looks like this:

1. Pistons (unchanged)
2. Thunder (unchanged)
3. Spurs (up from 4th)
4. Rockets (down from 3rd)
5. Nuggets
6. Suns
7. Timberwolves
8. Knicks
9. Celtics
10. Cavaliers

Further down the list, the Clippers sit at No. 11, the Lakers at No. 13, and the Warriors at No. 16. Notably, the Hornets—despite riding a seven-game winning streak—are ranked just 18th. The bottom five teams on the Power Rankings are the Pacers, Wizards, Nets, Jazz, and Kings. These rankings reflect a comprehensive evaluation of each team’s overall strength and recent form, factoring in record, momentum, and player health.

The Pistons’ surge is also reflected on the All-Star stage. The NBA has officially announced this season’s All-Star selections, with two Pistons earning spots: Cade Cunningham as an Eastern Conference starter, and Jalen Duren as a reserve. This marks the first time since 2008 that multiple Pistons players have been named All-Stars in the same season.

Looking at the standings, Detroit currently holds a 36–12 record, firmly in first place in the Eastern Conference, 5.5 games ahead of the second-place Knicks. The Pistons have controlled the East’s top spot for more than two months. On the league-wide leaderboard, they are also within striking distance of overall No. 1. The Thunder have lost three of their last five games and now lead Detroit by just two wins, leaving the door wide open for a potential takeover.

January was particularly dominant for Detroit. While the Clippers posted the league’s best winning percentage for the month at 73.3%, the Pistons were right behind at 71.4%. On February 2, Detroit delivered a statement performance, crushing the Nets 130–77, a 53-point victory that set a new franchise record for largest margin of victory. The previous mark—52 points—dated back to a 2003 game against the Celtics. There is little doubt that today’s Pistons are a force to be reckoned with.

What makes this rise even more remarkable is where the team stood not long ago. From October 31 to December 29, 2023, the Pistons endured a brutal 28-game losing streak, the longest single-season losing streak in NBA history. They finished the 2023–24 season at 14–68, dead last in the league. In just two years, Detroit has transformed from a historically struggling team into a legitimate Eastern Conference powerhouse.

Now, the question is yours to answer: How far do you think the Pistons can go this season?