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The Detroit Pistons are entering the 2026 NBA Playoffs as the top team in the Eastern Conference. Despite having a comfortable lead for first place when finishing the 2025-2026 season, the Pistons are generating some doubters ahead of their postseason run.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith was recently faced with the question of who would get eliminated in the playoffs first between the Pistons and the Boston Celtics. The prominent show host went with the former, citing inexperience as a primary reason why the Pistons could burn out quicker than anticipated.
“Where’s that second viable offensive option? JB Bickerstaff has done a great job. I think he’s a Coach of the Year candidate. I think they are Rough Riders, and I think anybody going through Detroit is going to have a tough time beating them,” Smith said of the Pistons.
“I think all of that stuff is true. In the end, their lack of experience and their lack of depth on the offensive side of the ball ultimately come back to haunt them against the likes of a team against the Boston Celtics, and I think it could spell their doom, even though they’ve had their way with Boston during the regular season.”
GettyCade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons embraces Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics after the Detroit Pistons defeated the Boston Celtics at Little Caesars Arena on February 26, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan.
Pistons vs Celtics: A Quick History
Last season, the Pistons were one of the most stunning teams in the NBA. They went from the bottom of the Eastern Conference to landing the sixth seed. Detroit shocked many, but the Celtics weren’t falling short against them.
Out of four matchups, the Celtics defeated the Pistons 3-1 during the 2024-2025 NBA season. This year, the series went the other way around.
In four games, the Pistons beat the Celtics 3-1. The latest outing occurred on January 19. The Pistons squeezed out a 104-103 win over Boston. Obviously, a lot has changed since then. The Celtics made a key move at the trade deadline to improve their front court, and they got Jayson Tatum back in the mix.
Experience Matters, But It’s Not Everything
GettyThe Detroit Pistons have outlasted the Boston Celtics as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference this season.
“They just know how to win,” Smith said of the experienced Celtics.
It’s no secret that the Celtics are the most consistent contenders in the Eastern Conference as of late. They’ve been to multiple NBA Finals during the Brown-Tatum era and have a recent title win.
Of course, experience matters in the NBA Playoffs, but the Pistons have proven that narratives don’t mean much to them. The basketball world didn’t anticipate a leap from worst to sixth last season, but they did it. Most expected Detroit to stay the same or regress in 2025-2026, but they churned out a conference-leading 60 wins.
The Celtics and the Pistons won’t have to worry about each other until the Eastern Conference Finals in 2026. They both have a long and tough road to get there. If Smith were a betting man, he would seemingly have his money on Boston to make a deeper run than Detroit.
Justin Grasso Justin Grasso is an NBA reporter, covering trending league news, transactions, injuries, and player developments. He is a credentialed journalist with nearly a decade of insider access. More about Justin Grasso
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