Since the Pistons waived veteran forward Josh Smith, they have been playing great basketball. They struggled early because players were not fitting the system, and they brought in a new coach with different expectations.

The Pistons have not made the playoffs in some time, but this may be the year they get there. The Pistons defeated the Raptors on Monday, and they are now two games out of the eight seed. A winning streak in the east can definitely get you back in the race, as the Pistons have gone 9-1 in their last 10 games. 

There are other teams in the East fighting to make the playoffs, like Indiana and Charlotte. The Hornets have been hot, winning five in a row. Steve Clifford is doing a great job of keeping the rotation and playing the hot hand. The Pacers are well coached as well and play a defensive style that will keep them in games.

With Smith out of the way, Stan Van Gundy is starting to show us his old self. In his time with Orlando, he was fiery and demanded his players to compete hard, meaning if someone was not, he did not hesitate to take them out. He likes to have a big with shooters to space the floor. No doubt Van Gundy has been the reason for the team turning around their season, as he will continue to stay consistent. 

Considering how the East is, if the Pistons can play .500 basketball from here to the end, they can be a playoff team. In the East, a .500 record is good enough to make the playoffs. With that in mind, knowing the coaching staff and management, they will not be satisfied with just making it. They would want to make a stronger push. Teams, such as Toronto, Chicago, Atlanta, and Washington, all have experience over Detroit, and those teams know what it takes, while Detroit is still clawing to get in. 

With the Pistons inches away from playoff positioning, there is little doubt to think they can't make it. They just need to be consistent and continue the way they are playing, which is sticking to the principles and doing what has made them successful since Smith's departure. As for Van Gundy, he needs to keep riding the hot hand.

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Francis Paul
I'm 15 years old who is looking to have a job in the field in the future i like basketball and looking forward to do good things with Vavel.