At the start of the season, the New York Knicks looked like the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. They were fresh off a trip to the conference finals, returning nearly their entire core, and they had a leg up on rivals like the Celtics and Pacers, both of whom were dealing with serious injuries to key players.
On paper, the Knicks had continuity, health, and momentum. But as we approach the All-Star break, it’s clear: the East doesn’t belong to New York.
Not right now.
That distinction belongs to the Detroit Pistons.
Detroit has stormed into the spotlight with a brand of basketball that’s as physical as it is effective. After ripping off a 13-game win streak early in the season, they’ve held firm at the top of the conference standings.
And it’s not just the wins - it’s how they’re winning. This team plays with an edge that harkens back to the Bad Boy era, and they’ve got a legitimate MVP candidate in Cade Cunningham leading the charge.
He’s not just putting up numbers - he’s setting the tone.
The Knicks, meanwhile, are still trying to find their identity under new head coach Mike Brown. After moving on from Tom Thibodeau in the offseason, the hope was that Brown could be the guy to finally break through the ceiling Thibs couldn’t - and take New York back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
That dream is still alive, but it’s no longer a straight path. The Knicks are no longer the hunted - they’re doing the chasing.
Even Stephen A. Smith, a lifelong and famously passionate Knicks supporter, has had to pump the brakes.
On First Take this morning, he admitted what many around the league are starting to realize: the Pistons aren’t just good - they’re the team to beat. “I didn’t pay enough attention to the Detroit Pistons,” Smith said, before acknowledging that while teams like the Raptors and Celtics are tough matchups, the Knicks can handle them.
But when it comes to Detroit?
“The Detroit Pistons scare the living hell out of me,” Smith said. “I think they’re the best team in the East, and most importantly … they don’t just want to win, they want the Knicks.”
That rivalry is starting to take shape - and it dates back to last year’s opening-round playoff series. Detroit, making its first postseason appearance since 2019, pushed the Knicks to the brink in a tight six-game series.
The Pistons didn’t win, but they came away knowing they could hang with one of the East’s top dogs. Fast forward to this season, and they’ve not only closed the gap - they’ve flipped the narrative.
In the only meeting between these two teams so far this season, Detroit delivered a statement. A 31-point blowout win that left no room for debate.
The Knicks were without Josh Hart in that game - sidelined with an ankle injury - and his absence was felt. Hart is the kind of player who doesn’t always show up in the box score but makes everything click.
Defense, hustle, leadership - he’s the glue.
Stephen A. broke it down with a stat that says it all: “You’re a game under .500 without Josh Hart in the 11 games he’s missed. You’re 14 games over .500 in the games that he’s played.” That’s not a coincidence - that’s impact.
But even with Hart back in the mix, the Knicks have a bigger issue to solve: consistency. While Detroit has been rock solid all season - never dropping more than two games in a row - New York has been riding a roller coaster. They’re currently on a six-game winning streak, but that came on the heels of a brutal stretch where they lost nine of 11.
So which version of the Knicks will we get when they face Detroit twice this month? More importantly, which version will show up in the playoffs?
“I believe they can do it,” Smith said of the Knicks’ chances to win the East. “But I’m not overly confident, because to me, the Pistons are the team to beat in the East right now, not the Knicks.”
That’s the reality facing New York. The expectations haven’t changed - this is still a team built to contend.
But the road to the Finals now runs through Detroit. And if that 31-point drubbing was any indication, the Pistons aren’t just trying to win - they’re coming for the crown.