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And now comes the first real test of Pistons self-confidence, camaraderie

MINNEAPOLIS – This was the moment Stan Van Gundy had in mind. Back in training camp, when already there was a sense of a stronger bond being formed. Through the euphoria of the back-to-back comeback wins over the Clippers and Warriors. Amid the five-game sweep of their recent home stand.

How would the Pistons respond to the first whiplash of their momentum? Would the guys who fall on the wrong side of the line separating those in from those out of the rotation still be as upbeat when wins turned to losses? Would their confidence sag and their camaraderie suffer?

The two losses – the first time the Pistons have lost consecutive games in the first 15 – to start their three-game road trip, to the Bucks and Pacers, both could have been wins. The Pistons came back to tie in the final minute at Milwaukee and led by 22 in the third quarter at Indiana. Everybody’s going to lose two in a row at some point, right? Teams that win 50-plus games have a way of cutting those losing streaks short, which ups the ante for the finale of the three-game road trip Sunday at Minnesota.

That’ll be a window into the state of the Pistons, a measuring post for all the permanence of all those positive traits they’ve exuded since training camp opened nearly two months ago.

A few other observations with the Pistons sitting at 10-5 nearly 20 percent of the way into the 2017-18 season: