For most of my life the Pistons have felt like a band from the 80s parading around on their 3rd reunion tour in the same outfits and playing the same songs that they can’t seem to let go of. Since the team last won a playoff series in 2008, there have been times when they have been awful but even worse… completely forgettable. There was a stretch of years where the Pistons were a perfect illustration of mediocrity in the NBA. 14-year-old me truly believed that the Reggie Jackson/Andre Drummond duo would be the tandem to revive Detroit basketball, but they could never seem to escape basketball purgatory.

After the going-to-work Pistons era, the team has worn the same jersey, played the same music, and screamed “DEEETROOOOOIIITTTTT BASKETBALLLLL” at nauseum. With each passing year, the team felt more and more like a parody of itself. They played the hits that everyone loved because they couldn’t come up with any new material, but it was obvious to every Pistons fan during this stretch: This is not Detroit Pistons basketball.

Last season may have been the true bottom point for a franchise that has seemed to set that bar lower and lower over the last 15+ years. The team won just 14 games, and the season was defined by a record-setting 28-game losing streak. Coach Monty Williams, who was given the biggest coaching contract in NBA history during the offseason, was promptly let go after just 1 season. The architect of the team, Troy Weaver, was also let go. The organization was ready for yet another overhaul.

The team brought in Trajan Langdon to be the new front office leader as President of Basketball Operations. They found their new coach in JB Bickerstaff, fresh off of leading a young Cavaliers team to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. In just their first season in Detroit, they have completely turned things around and exceeded every expectation placed upon them. Even more important than that, the team on the floor finally looks like the Detroit Pistons once again.

The hustle and attitude that are associated with the great teams in the franchise’s history are present with the current iteration. If Monty Williams coaching style was similar to the soft rock of Hall and Oates, JB Bickerstaff is starting to sound like Rage Against the Machine. The players fight, they play defense, and they talk a lot of shit. JB Bickerstaff is right in the middle of it too. You can always find him screaming at refs, players, and even opposing coaches. It’s been a complete return to the attitude that has always been at the core of the franchise during it’s sucessful periods.

When JB Bickerstaff was introduced as the Pistons head coach, he made the same promises that every coach does when they take a job in this city. “The team will play hard.” “The team will be gritty and blue-collar just like the city.” “This will be a team the city can be proud of.”. Detroit fans have heard these promises so many times but have only seen them come to fruition on a handful of occasions. JB Bickerstaff, Trajan Langdon, and the rest of the organization are following through on these promises.

They continue to exceed expectations on a nightly basis, and for the first time in a long time, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. They have a franchise player, veterans, and role players that want to be here, and a coach that sets the tone the minute he walks into a room. Most importantly, though, the team is finally doing what fans have been dreaming of since they last reached the pinnacle 21 years ago.

They are playing Detroit Basketball once again.