The Pistons clinched the 1 seed in the East for the first time since 2007

The Detroit Pistons are the 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time since 2007 — and they did it without their best player. Cade Cunningham has been sidelined with a collapsed lung, and the Pistons haven't missed a beat, sitting at 57-21.

This is a franchise that won just 14 games two seasons ago. Now they're the top seed in the East with the best record in the conference, proving their depth runs far deeper than any single player. The defense has been suffocating — Detroit ranks 2nd in defensive rating since Cade went down.

The last time Detroit held the 1 seed, they had Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, and Rasheed Wallace. This version is younger, hungrier, and has something to prove. Cade's return timeline remains unclear, but the Pistons have shown they can win without him. The question now is whether they can maintain this level through a grueling Eastern Conference playoff bracket.