The Detroit Pistons head into the All-Star break with a bang – literally and figuratively – after its chaotic 110–104 win over the Hornets Monday night in Charlotte. The East’s top team now closes the first half on Wednesday in Toronto, shorthanded in the frontcourt, including one player who was set to participate in All-Star festivities in Inglewood before everything was put on hold.
The skirmish in Charlotte puts a blemish on what has otherwise been a revelation of a season for Detroit. At this point, the only option is to move forward – and be thankful this didn’t happen closer to the postseason, where looming suspensions could have had far greater consequences.
1. The new Bad Boys are good for the league
The NBA landscape has changed dramatically since the Pistons’ most infamous brawl against Indiana 22 years ago. Back then, scuffles were more common and rarely drew significant public backlash – until the Malice in the Palace reshaped how basketball altercations were viewed. Since then, the league has rightly installed guardrails to prevent anything close to that from happening again.
Still, there’s something undeniably human about being drawn to tension boiling over. Boxing once dominated American sports culture for a reason, and while today’s NBA is far less physical overall – in part due to stricter penalties – that edge may be creeping back.
For one of the league’s best teams to also be one of its most physically imposing is ultimately good for the NBA’s product. Detroit plays a bruising style, yet hardly anyone would call them dirty. They frustrate teams mostly because they beat them – possession by possession, rebound by rebound. It used to be: if the Pistons couldn’t win the game, they’d at least win the fight. Now, they’re doing both – and seemingly building rivalries along the way.
2. Huerter’s impact
With the deadline behind them, the Pistons essentially flipped Jaden Ivey for sharpshooter Kevin Huerter – exactly the type of move I expected from Trajan Langdon. It preserved chemistry while theoretically addressing a roster need.
Through three games, Huerter has averaged nine minutes while being eased into Detroit’s already deep rotation. A career 37% three-point shooter, his 2026 numbers dipped a bit this season, but the Pistons are betting that a change of scenery and improved offensive environment can rejuvenate the eight-year veteran. Beyond shooting, he brings strong instincts as a connective offensive piece.
Defensively, Huerter has averaged over a steal per game three times in his career and holds opponents to 33.7% shooting on defended threes. That fits cleanly with a bench unit built on pressure and activity.
Unless you were firmly in the “Ivey as Cade’s long-term running mate” camp – a tougher sell down the stretch – it’s hard to criticize the move. If it makes Detroit even marginally better without sacrificing major assets or disrupting chemistry, it’s a win.
3. Cade’s shooting inconsistencies
I’ve tried to hold off on this topic because Cunningham remains the engine behind Detroit’s success. But it’s hard to ignore a recent stretch where his jumper has just looked flat. Maybe some of the struggles stem from a recent wrist injury, but the dips in shooting seem to become more visible against better teams.
He’s never been an elite shooter, but his overall game depends on being at least a credible threat from deep. In January, he shot 31% from three on roughly five attempts per game. In February through five games, that number dipped to 27% on similar volume. In high-profile matchups where defenses load up on him, his rhythm as a shooter has clearly suffered – which becomes a mild concern entering playoff basketball.
Last postseason against New York, Cunningham shot just 17.9% from three, yet still impacted games as a defender and creator. But as competition stiffens coming out of the break, his shooting will be something to monitor. If Cade becomes even a league-average shooter from outside, it changes the ceiling of this team entirely.