Detroit Pistons 'Overachieving' According To Analysis
By Dan Jenkins
@DanTJenkins
The expectations going into year two of Stan Van Gundy's reign with the Detroit Pistons were higher locally than on a national scale.
Many people around the team thought the Pistons were good enough to make the playoffs this season in a soft, but improved Eastern Conference. The team started hot but has since cooled off with an 8-7 record, good enough for eighth place in the East.
Basketball Insiders recently ranked every team in the NBA as "overachieving, underachieving, or performing as expected" and sure enough, they pegged the Pistons as one of the NBA's overachieving squads.
"The Pistons have cooled off after a hot start, but the play of Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson has the club above .500 and relevant again in the Eastern Conference (for the time being)."
The Pistons battled through an early-season west coast road trip while having the league's sixth-highest strength of schedule and still have an above-.500 record.
Drummond has put the league on notice with his dominant rebounding numbers, averaging 17.8 per game while posting four 20-rebound performances in 15 games this season.
Meanwhile, Jackson is trying to live up to a monster contract he signed with Detroit in the offseason. He leads the team in points (19.3) and assists (6.0).
Among other "overachieving" teams in the East are the Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers, and New York Knicks.