Can anyone explain the Pistons' success? Addition by subtraction?

Drummond is amazing, Reggie Jackson is a really solid player, KCP's becoming a little bit more consistent and SVG is a really really good coach.

When you have two bigs like they had that both clog the paint, that will happen.

It is still very early in the season and its not like they have played the very best.
Pacers
Blazers
Jazz
Suns
Bulls
Hawks

Out of those games, the only one that is a good definite win was opening night in Atlanta. SVG is a good coach, but it remains to be seen if this core is good enough to challenge for future playoff contention.

They really have been getting it done on the defensive end...although tonight they were pretty bad through three quarters. It was pretty evident that Drummond/Monroe could not co-exist, with Moose gone Andre has all the room he wants to operate in the paint and the Jackson/Drummond high screen-and-roll has been deadly. Drummond has also really developed a couple nice "go to" moves in the paint...so, he doesn't have to simply be a guy who scores on putbacks at this point.

Can't really downplay the play of Marcus Morris, he has been legit...brought toughness and versatility. KCP is making that leap, too...spent a lot of time in the offseason working on his game off the dribble so he doesn't have to simply be a "3 and D" guy...and it shows. The interesting thing is they haven't been getting much of anything out of Stanley Johnson...he is really pressing on the offensive end, but he will figure it out. Losing Jodie coming off the bench has hurt...the offensive output off the bench has been pretty sporadic without him.

SVG is one of the best coaches in the game...it shouldn't be a surprise now that he has a roster that can actually execute his gameplan that they are playing well. Plus, Josh Smith is a loser and shipping him out was the best thing they could have done.

Those are six solid teams IMO.

I think staying out of foul trouble will be Andre's biggest obstacle. It absolutely killed him last year and they were usually dumb fouls too. Good write up brg.

Marcus Morris is playing well for them. Portland and Detroit were two teams I predicted would be better than the experts thought

I picked Charlotte to make the 2nd round of the playoffs last year behind Lance Stephenson

Drummond is insane this year. Watched a game the other day. Dude gets every fricking rebound. To think this dude was just one pick away from getting picked by the Pels. Instead, Austin Rivers... .

To put it really simply, they have been building the exact type of team SVG loves to coach.

Their roster is deep with role players, most of the 7th, 8th, 9th guys off the bench for teams are guys who are lost in their careers. SVG filled his team out nicely.

If Jackson and Drummond can keep this up they are a very solid team. Those two will only grow defensively under Stan too. Pistons and Pacers look like real playoff teams, someone in the east that everyone thought was a lock is going to miss out.

drummond is a fricking beast that's how.

best center in the league. don't know how in the hell he fell to 10th in the draft