The Detroit Pistons (39-13, 1st in Eastern Conference) and Toronto Raptors (32-22, 5th in Eastern Conference) will wrap up their pre-All-Star slate Wednesday night in Toronto. The two teams enter tonight’s action with 7-3 records in their last 10 games. Read on to see the keys to tonight’s Pistons-Raptors showdown.
1. Pistons look to punctuate stellar first half: The Pistons came into the year with high hopes of taking another step forward following a remarkable 2024-25 season that saw them more than triple their win total from the previous season. A 39-13 start to the season is certainly a statement that last year was no fluke; with a win, the Pistons will be just four wins away from tying last year’s win total. It would also put them at 40 wins for the year, a mark they did not reach until March 23 last season. The numbers support the record, too. Detroit ranks second in the NBA in NETRTG and is one of the best rebounding teams in the league as well. They will present a big challenge to the Raptors tonight.
2. Toronto’s selfless style is paying off: Speaking of turnarounds, the Raptors have already eclipsed last season’s win total and it’s not even the All-Star break yet. Toronto ranked 25th in offensive rating and 17th in defensive rating last year en route to a 30-52 mark, but the team has an entirely different feel to it this year. The Raptors currently sit in fifth in the East and rank in the top half of the league in Net Rating. Part of what makes this Raptors team dangerous is its depth and play style; Toronto is comfortable relying on several different options to provide the scoring, and the team’s No. 4-ranked assist percentage shows that it’s adept at finding the open shot regardless of who’s taking it.
3. No threes, please: Both the Raptors and Pistons are bucking the league-wide trend of leaning on 3-pointers as the basis of their offenses. Instead, they each attack the paint and the mid-range. Detroit ranks 28th in percentage of attempts coming from beyond the arc (35.5%) and Toronto isn’t much further ahead, ranking 25th in that metric. Looking at our shooting dashboard, the Pistons instead rank second in the league in made baskets from inside five feet with 22.3 per game. The Raptors aren’t far behind with 19.1 such made baskets per game. Toronto is also effective in the mid-range, sinking 4.3 such shots per game (7th). Clearly, these two offenses have similar philosophies, which adds a layer to an already intriguing matchup tonight.
