Is toughness or skill more valuable?
The Pistons emerged as an unlikely threat last season, pushing the Knicks to six games in the first round of the playoffs and having them on the ropes at multiple points. It took multiple fourth-quarter comebacks and late-game heroics from Jalen Brunson for the Knicks to get past Detroit.
This season, the Pistons have taken the jump to Eastern Conference title contender. In what was supposed to be a weakened East with the Pacers missing Tyrese Haliburton and the Celtics missing Jayson Tatum, the Pistons have emerged as a real potential roadblock for the Knicks.
The Pistons have resided in first place in the conference for most of the season, a position bolstered when they smoked the Knicks in Detroit earlier this month with both teams shorthanded.
