Longtime NBA Head Coach Praises Competitiveness of Detroit Pistons

Detroit Pistons currently in position to end their playoff drought.

Apr 2, 2022; New Orleans, LA, USA; Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and former NBA coach George Karl speaks during a press conference at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Through the first two months of the season, one of the more underlying storylines in the NBA has been the Detroit Pistons. Less than a year removed from their historic losing streak and finishing with the league's worst record, they look like a completely different team.

Over the summer, the Pistons made changes at all levels to change the trajectory of the franchise. Trajan Langdon was brought in to lead the front office, and he parted ways with Monty Williams to hire J.B. Bickerstaff as head coach. The Pistons' roster also saw improvements, most notably in the form of veteran shooting.

With this massive makeover, Detroit has seen a lot of success in the early stages of the regular season. By Christmas Day, they'd already matched their win total from last season. More importantly, the Pistons are in a position to win almost on a nightly basis.

As they continue to turn heads around the NBA, the Pistons have started to receive praise from countless notable figures. Among the more recent people to praise their efforts is longtime head coach George Karl. He feels the league is in a much better place when the Pistons are a competitive franchise.

The NBA is better when the Pistons are competitive.

— George Karl (@CoachKarl22) December 29, 2024

At the moment, the Pistons find themselves in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Their 14-18 record is good for 10th place, which would earn them a spot in the play-in tournament. Also, Detroit is only three games behind the Milwaukee Bucks, who currently sit in sixth place.

Following their loss to the Denver Nuggets over the weekend, the Pistons find themselves with an elongated break in the schedule. They aren't set to take the court again until January 1st, when they'll face off against the Orlando Magic.