It's the NBA, right? You look at the season, it's long. Everybody goes through difficult times or a little bit of a rut. We just found ours right now. And again, we've got plenty of time left to do that we've got to do.
The Detroit Pistons are the top team in the Eastern Conference with a record of 45-15 and have been getting MVP-caliber play from star guard Cade Cunningham. They are 30-8 against the East and are hoping to make a deep playoff run after getting knocked out in the first round last season against the New York Knicks.
At the very least, they could be a gutsy and gritty squad fighting their way into the playoffs. But even with that in mind, it was a thought that garnered very little confidence. I can recall seeing the Raptors viewed an end-of-the-standings play-in team (or barely at all), especially when looking back at those preseason ESPN predictions - not even good enough to surpass the Chicago Bulls.
The NBA's Eastern Conference is as unpredictable as any point in recent history. Superstar injuries during last season's playoffs depleted two East powers. The upstart Detroit Pistons sit atop the standings at the quarter mark.
