DETROIT — The Detroit Pistons are back and they’re hungry for more.
A trip to the postseason for the first time since 2019 was not enough for this group as coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s second-year squad wants to build off the momentum from last season.
Star guard Cade Cunningham and a roster that returns a lot of young talent is ready to keep growing, while also trying to accomplish their goal of being a top team in the Eastern Conference and, of course, try and bring a championship back to the city.
Training camp begins on Tuesday and the Pistons will get back to work with some new faces like veterans Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson joining in on the action ahead of the 2025-26 season.
The Pistons held their annual media day on Monday at their performance center in Detroit, offering the first chance to hear from the team.
Here are some notable quotes from the Pistons on Monday:
Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon on the mindset after a postseason appearance: “We approached the season last year we had a target on everybody’s back, obviously being the worst team in the league the previous year. Not that it’s easy, but it’s easier to approach every game as the hunter. And I think there came a time in the season where we weren’t that anymore. Everybody understood what they were going to face when they played the Pistons that night. And I think that’s kind of where we are going into this season. I just don’t think we’re going to surprise anybody anymore. But I think the mindset of our team has not changed, either. I don’t think they feel that we’re just going to roll out, win games because we’re the Pistons and we had some success last season. This group is still hungry. They see an opportunity and they want to take the next step.”
Coach J.B. Bickerstaff on the benefits of new players like Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert: “Those guys, all of them, because of their size and their skill set, bring a ton of versatility to what we can do and how we can mix and match them with our guys. Like, we could play five guys that are about 6-foot-8 if we wanted to and be extremely fast, right? Be able to switch a lot of things, be able to trap more, be able to pick up more in the full court. We can play with our two bigs and throw, a six-eight and a six-eight and a six-eight out there also. So there’s just so many things that we can do with that flexibility and versatility and size and ball skill that can make us pretty dangerous once we get comfortable with it all.”
Star guard Cade Cunningham on setting the tone for the season: “It’s not really much for me to say. It’s time for the action, now. It’s a couple weeks away. We had an offseason of feeling that loss in the playoffs. So, we’re all hungry. We all got a chip on our shoulder, so it’s not really much else to say about it. I think it’s now it’s go time. We’re just all ready to strap our shoes back on and get back to it.”
Cunningham on anything he added to his offseason training: “I’ve been doing yoga for a while, so brought that back. Yoga was good. I did a little bit of martial arts training. I’m not gonna say which one.”
New wing Duncan Robinson on what sets the Pistons culture apart: “The NBA is sort of a weird league in that everybody here, whether you’re coaching or playing, is likely living your dream in some capacity. Yet, you get to points through an NBA season, and I’ve been in it, you step into a locker room and everyone seems miserable. I think this place and granted, we’re like day one here, so I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself. But from everything that I’ve gathered, this place knows how to enjoy and find enjoyment throughout the course of an NBA season. And I found it in the relationships that guys have. I found it in the way guys interact, coaches interact. So that’s a special thing, and I’m excited to be a part of that and hopefully bring my own dynamic to it as well.”
Veteran forward Tobias Harris on if Jaden Ivey is still the same fast and explosive player after his injury: “Nah, he’s faster.”
Ivey on if there are any restrictions for his return to play: “It’s still a process, I would say, just because I haven’t played a game in so long, I think that’s going to be obviously a hurdle to get over. But it’s nothing that I don’t believe I can’t get over. I just got to figure that out once that time comes.”
Third-year forward Ausar Thompson on what he and Ivey can do together on the court: “JI’s one of the fastest people I ever seen in my life. I also consider myself one of those as well. So to just be able to run on fast breaks, make fast breaks out of things that people might not think are fast breaks, just if they don’t have anybody in the paint, just protect the paint. So I think we could both bring that to the team.”
Second-year forward Ron Holland on spending a year in Detroit: “I kind of knew a lot about Detroit before I got here. Just being able to listen to the music and everything, but when I finally got out here, I feel like I was welcomed by the fans being downtown and all that. It’s just been amazing that the passion that this city has for sports and really anything. And I feel like everybody got each other’s back around here. Everybody wants to see each other get better, and everybody wants to see each other win for real.”
Center Jalen Duren on showcasing his jump shot more in games: “I started putting them up. Now I got the green light. So, start putting them up. Just working on it, staying consistent, staying in the gym, getting back to the fundamentals, the basics, my balance, my feet, shot mechanics. Just locking in on it every day. Trying to progress as a player and get better and just be able to be used in any way possible. Like, any way J.B. wants to use me or put me in spots, I just want to be able to fill my role to the best of my ability.”
Harris on trying to seize the opportunity to improve after a successful season: “It’s a very fast league. The game changes, team changes, dynamics change. But this group, the culture that we’ve established here, the personalities from guy-to-guy is a really special group to be a part of. Even the new guys we got coming in, I’m just understanding and seeing that, but also feeling it as well. Feeling the embrace from everybody in the room to reach the goals that we have. Then also at the same time, it’s not taken for granted the moment that we’re in. This is a very promising team, promising organization, promising city and so we have all the tools in place.”