Knicks, Pistons and major inquiries in the pursuit of the Eastern Conference’s top seed

It has been just over eight months since Jalen Brunson blew a kiss to the Little Caesars Arena crowd to celebrate his game-winning, first-round clinching 3-pointer. And for the first time since that thrilling six-game series, the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons are facing off — as the top two seeds in the Eastern Conference.

Though Monday’s game might not deliver that level of drama, it features two teams with ramped-up expectations.

After winning its first playoff game in almost 20 years, the first-place Pistons have been one of this season’s biggest surprises behind the play of Most Valuable Player candidate Cade Cunningham and a gritty top-tier defense. The Knicks, who are three games behind Detroit, are the newly crowned NBA Cup champions, led by the steady Brunson, but they are supplemented by a bench that has already provided a few clutch moments.

Which East contender has the edge in the race for the top seed? Which teams below them could join the conversation in a wide-open conference? Is Monday an East finals preview?

Ahead of the first of three meetings this season, we’re tackling five questions on the Knicks, the Pistons and the top of the East race, including how each team could attack the Feb. 5 trade deadline.

What has changed since the Knicks and Pistons met in the 2025 playoffs?

Tim Bontemps: When the Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau after the franchise’s deepest playoff run since 1999, the mandate in New York became clear: It’s NBA Finals or bust.

And once the Knicks hired Mike Brown after a long coaching search, the two-time Coach of the Year made it clear that his rotations would lean more into the team’s reserves and youth, a strategy that was also an internal emphasis, sources told ESPN.

The lack of depth and Thibodeau’s unwillingness to use many reserves played a significant role in New York moving on from the veteran coach. Knicks president Leon Rose said in his statement announcing Brown’s hiring back in July that, «[Brown’s] ability to grow and develop players will all help us as we aim to bring a championship to New York for our fans.»

The philosophy shift, so far, has paid dividends. Though Brunson’s minutes are the same as last season, the other four starters — Karl-Anthony Towns (35 minutes to 32.8), Mikal Bridges (37 to 35.3), OG Anunoby (36.6 to 32.5) and Josh Hart (37.6 to 30.3) are all down.

At the same time, Tyler Kolek — a second-round pick in 2024 — has turned into a fan favorite in New York, playing a part in the Knicks’ NBA Cup victory as well as New York’s Christmas Day comeback against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Mohamed Diawara is a prime example of Brown dipping deep into his bench. The second-round rookie has had several full-rotation stints the past couple of weeks while Hart rehabs an ankle injury.

Vince, you’ve spent as much time around the Pistons as anyone the past few years. After escaping the dregs of the league with last season’s playoff breakthrough, what has Detroit done to make another leap, this time to the top of the conference?

Vincent Goodwill: It’s cliché, Tim, but the Pistons are benefitting from continuity and internal growth. Last year’s first-round defeat was a major step.

«I’ve watched that series a bunch of times,» Pistons forward Ausar Thompson told ESPN. «It was such a fun environment. I feel like I learned so much from it.»

I was among those who believed losing Malik Beasley and his ability to go on shooting spurts would hurt the Pistons, who are 27th in makes and 28th in attempts this season.

But Detroit’s defense has been impenetrable. If center Isaiah Stewart qualified in minutes, he’d be on my Defensive Player of the Year ballot. Thompson ranks among league leaders in key perimeter metrics, and Cunningham takes immense pride in shutting down his matchup. Defense still wins in the NBA, shockingly.

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What could each East leader pull off at the trade deadline?

Goodwill: The Pistons control their first-round pick in each of the next seven drafts and could include Tobias Harris‘ $26.6 million expiring salary in a potential trade. (That’s not to say they are eager to trade Harris, whose veteran presence has helped stabilize the locker room.) The franchise also has to weigh deals for restricted free agents Jalen Duren and Jaden Ivey this summer.

The Pistons are well-positioned under both salary cap aprons, which is why they are frequently mentioned in potential trades for Trey Murphy III, Michael Porter Jr. and Lauri Markkanen. Detroit’s needs are obvious despite its gaudy record. Cunningham is a prime-time fourth-quarter scorer — he’s just six points behind reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in total points in the clutch this season — but the Pistons lack secondary shot creation and the aforementioned 3-point shooting.

The front office could let the season play out, throwing a talented but young roster (average age of 25) into the playoff gauntlet and assess from there. But in what seems like a charmed season for Detroit in a weakened conference, the Pistons have the opportunity to acquire a difference-maker before the trade deadline.

Right now, it feels like Detroit will lean toward a conservative approach. At last season’s trade deadline, as the Pistons were battling for a top-six seed, president Trajan Langdon added veteran guard Dennis Schroder after Ivey suffered a season-ending leg injury. A bigger move would certainly be justified this time.

«How does any move affect our sustainability for the future, in order for us to be successful?» Langdon told ESPN last month. «Those are the questions we constantly ask ourselves.»

Bontemps: While Detroit has options, New York’s are limited. The Knicks are less than $200,000 below the second apron and can’t take back more salary than they send out in trades.

One option is to move on from forward Guerschon Yabusele, whom the team signed this summer with its taxpayer midlevel exception after his strong season with the Philadelphia 76ers. Yabusele has struggled to gain traction in the rotation, averaging 10 minutes per game after a career-high 27.1 in his lone season with Philly. The Knicks could explore moving him for another player or to clear cap space for the buyout market.

Center Mitchell Robinson, who is on an expiring $12.9 million deal, could be a trade candidate, but it’s difficult to see New York dealing him when he has become so critical to the Knicks’ second unit.

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If not the Knicks or Pistons, who else in the East is a real Finals threat?

Bontemps: I don’t feel great about any East team, including the Knicks and Pistons. New York, which has lost three in a row, is 25th in defense over its past five games. Detroit has dropped three of five and is missing Harris and Duren, although Cunningham and the Pistons denied the Cavaliers’ comeback attempt Sunday in Cleveland.

I feel like I should make a case for the Cavs to come out of the East, but Sunday’s loss to a depleted Pistons team is one of many reasons why I can’t.

I will make a case for the Boston Celtics. Jaylen Brown‘s 50-point game in Los Angeles stopped the Clippers’ six-game winning streak Saturday night and moved the Celtics within half a game of the Knicks for second in the East. Boston can move into sole possession of second with a win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday, coupled with a Knicks loss.

The Celtics have done this while waiting for Jayson Tatum to potentially come back from an Achilles tear, reinforcing their belief before the season that this wouldn’t be a gap year. «We’re not the hunted anymore [and] have that mindset of, ‘We’re going to prove people wrong,» Celtics guard Derrick White told ESPN in October.

And then there are the 76ers. Betting on their health in April is difficult, given the injury history of Joel Embiid, Paul George and Co. in recent seasons. But after watching them beat the Knicks on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, there seems to be a growing belief within the team that it can make a deep run.

Goodwill: Nobody in the East looks unassailable. It is important to note that we aren’t in the thick of trade season — this conversation could look quite different in a month. As long as Darius Garland‘s big toe injury continues to nag him, I don’t see the Cavaliers as a viable threat.

But the Celtics, who have the East’s best point differential, have been quite the story as they stay near the top of the conference. Brown deserves to be mentioned in MVP discussions, as he has kept the Celtics afloat. And a team that shoots so many 3s is always a threat to get hot during a playoff series.

Also, Celtics president Brad Stevens could be active at the trade deadline. Any midseason additions, plus the potential return of Tatum — even if he’s limited, he’s a shot-maker who will draw attention from the opposition, a sizable defender and an above-average rebounder — could elevate Boston to the top of East contenders.

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What could prevent the Pistons and Knicks from reaching the conference finals?

Goodwill: Beyond this roster’s postseason inexperience, Detroit could be burned by two things operating at an otherworldly level.

Cunningham is third on my MVP ballot — he was fourth in ESPN’s MVP straw poll last month — and stands to go higher if Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic falls short of the 65-game threshold because of his knee injury. There’s no reason to believe Cunningham can’t sustain these performances, but any drop-off would make Detroit vulnerable to an early exit.

The more pressing concern would be the Pistons’ elite defense letting down in a series. Despite an expected regression during a recent run of three losses in five games, Detroit trails only the Oklahoma City Thunder in defensive rating.

The Thunder went from the play-in to a second-round exit to winning the title in three years. The league moves faster than ever, but steps can’t be skipped too often.

Bontemps: Assuming they are healthy, the Knicks’ defensive shortcomings could prevent a second straight trip to the conference finals.

New York ranks 16th in defensive rating this season, just ahead of current play-in contenders the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks. That’s not the typical defensive rating for serious title contenders. With Brunson and Towns on the floor, opposing offenses will target those two stars, especially in the later rounds.

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Is Monday’s game an East finals preview?

Bontemps: I will understand Motor City fans’ frustration over this opinion, but the Pistons need to do this in the playoffs before I believe they can win two series. In a league where young teams typically take their lumps before learning how to win in the playoffs, the Pistons have only last year’s playoff series defeat to New York on their résumé. Detroit’s lack of perimeter scoring around Cunningham also gives me pause.

While a Pistons run to the East finals wouldn’t be stunning, I’m taking the field. And though I think the Knicks have a much better chance of getting there, they haven’t instilled much confidence, either. That uncertainty, however, could set us up for a wild East postseason.

Goodwill: The expectation of late-May and early-June basketball is still a ways away in Detroit, unless the front office makes a trade deadline splash or if Ivey makes a huge leap in the next few months. Though I understand the argument against the Pistons, the field features teams with just as many questions.

Even when healthy, Embiid’s and George’s performances have historically underwhelmed, and budding superstar guard Tyrese Maxey has yet to be the focus of a playoff defense.

As currently constructed, no team in the group, including the Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, Celtics, Cavaliers and Bucks, has experienced deep playoff runs. The Pistons don’t have to beat everyone, just the two teams in front of them.

There isn’t much precedent, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see Detroit keep its run going into an East finals matchup against New York. And if last season’s first-round thriller is any indication, it would be a fun showdown with a Finals trip at stake.