John Kuester doesn’t allow questioners much latitude when they suggest any particular game qualifies as important. “Every game is important,” is his standard comeback. He’s never been more right. Sitting at five games in the loss column out of the final playoff spot, each of the Pistons’ 29 remaining games is important.
They’ve reached the point where they can’t afford to lose many, if any, winnable games. Beyond that, they’ll probably need to steal a win or two from the column heading of improbable wins.
So every game is important – some are just more important than others.
Among the latter category are each of the nine games remaining against the four other contenders for the last two remaining playoff positions.
Over the last few weeks, Philadelphia and Indiana have positioned themselves as the favorites for those spots, while Charlotte gave itself a stay of execution by going 4-2 on a six-game road trip – ending with a win at The Palace that the Pistons will put high on the list of games to rue should they fall short in their playoff bid. The Pistons and Milwaukee, meanwhile, have treaded water, playing just well enough to stay alive but failing to capitalize on opportunities to enhance their standing.
Here are a few key points in considering how the final nine weeks of the NBA regular season will play out for the Pistons: