Kendrick Perkins Makes Statement Following Pistons loss to Nuggets

Former player turned analyst praises Pistons despite loss.

June 8, 2018; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Kendrick Perkins (21) during the second quarter in game four of the 2018 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors at Quicken Loans Arena. The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 108-85 to complete a four-game sweep. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

On Saturday night, the Detroit Pistons took the floor in Denver looking to stay undefeated on their road trip. Despite coming up short against the Nuggets, they were still praised by a former NBA champion.

Last season, the Pistons had the league worst record and the franchise looked to have no clear direction. In just one offseason, they managed to completely change their trajectory. Not only has Detroit already matched their win total from last season, but Cade Cunningham is quickly emerging into a star-level talent in the NBA.

Thanks to strong performances from Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets took down the Pistons by a final score of 134-121. Following the loss, Kendrick Perkins took to X (formerly Twitter) to give his take. Even though they were handed a loss, he stated that Detroit has his full attention now.

These young Detroit Pistons got my attention.

— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) December 29, 2024

Led by new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, the Pistons are a drastically more competitive team. They're in a position to win on a nightly basis, and have racked a decent amount of late-game victories. Most recently against the Sacrameto Kings, when Jaden Ivey converted a four-point play to seal a win in the final seconds.

As Detroit continues to collect wins, they find themselves in the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference. They are currently tied for ninth place with the Chicago Bulls, but are only three games out of sixth place.

Perkins is far from the only analyst in the NBA world that has changed their tune regarding the Pistons. Many have come to praise their efforts through the first two months of the season after a night-and-day difference from last year.