Back on 760 WJR is just in with Nick's notes and we are talking pistons. Basketball those top seated pistons but Nick we are not alone in this conversation. We are so excited to have on the phone with us from clutch points it is pistons beat reporter my friend Eric Vincent how you feeling man? Good to be here man thank you for having us and I appreciate time man how's everything.
Oh man things are great especially when we're talking to Detroit basketball it's kind of been up and down right a little scary about a month ago with Kate going down but this is a pistons team sense the Kate injury that has continued to win basketball games and as of recently with the win despite last night's loss in Orlando when it comes to the win and Philly over the weekend clinching the top seed I had this kind of mindset when it comes to Kate's injury that it was almost good for the team because it forced others to step up and who's going to be Kate's number two number three option come playoff basketball what have you seen from this team sense Kate's injury that's leading to this so much success without him. Yeah they've really embraced that next man mentality really all season just and they dealt with a lot of injuries a lot of lineup shuffling and I think it takes to the brilliance of JB Bigger staff losing Kate Cunningham they have sucked to their identity as a defensive-minded team and they've been able to adjust offensively as well even with Kate out of the lineup you think guys like Dana Jenkins step up as a primary ball handler uh Jaylin Duren really excelling as an offensive hub or excelling as an offensive hub for the team doing a really good job of creating his own shots his own look to buy his hair you know being a productive reliable veteran and then they're bent for I think one of the most reliable bench units in the entire NBA. JB constantly talks about how the depth of the Detroit Pistons can be a weapon and they have really used it to their advantage with guys like with one of our names even Kevin Herner stepping up and playing really good basketball Duncan Robinson expanding his game as a score. The Pistons have just done a really good job of not letting the cake Cunningham injury be a crutch they've done a really good job of even taking the top-seated Oklahoma City Thunder to overtime down the wire on the road without Kate showing that they're not you know just be willing to any opponent that they take on they're really taking every game serious throughout this regular season and that just shows the kind of grit and adversity of their willing to battle through with this Pistons team that's really impressive.
And Eric I just want to say thank you for joining us really appreciate it but obviously this Pistons team is historic right the first first seat in the east since 2007 just about two decades and I mean we go back and forth obviously the national media loves to talk about Boston they love to talk about the Knicks and even the Cavs with James Harden now have kind of snuck into those conversations. Seems like the league leave the Pistons out a lot of those Eastern Conference finals talks. I want to get in your head and see where you're thinking where the Pistons will you know end up in the postseason obviously there's some seating that needs to be figured out with New York and Cleveland who could be a potential second round matchup for the Pistons if they are to get past that first round which will be you know have home court advantage at LCA but I just wanted to get your opinion on you know what's the ceiling for this team and what do you think they'll be able to do as you know this late April basketball kind of rolls around that everyone gets excited for. Yeah it's important that you know teams I think those three teams being the the Knicks the Celtic and the Cavaliers I mean they have more pressure than anybody else to come out of the Eastern Conference because they have championship expectations sooner than later compared to every other team like the Pistons the Hawks you know the teams towards the bottom like the Sixers the Hornets other teams like that they're still young building and putting established a winning identity.
In terms of the Pistons I think this team that again shows they can compete with anybody outside maybe the Spurs they've got a really good job of showing that they can battle with any team at any conference but I think it's the team that could make it out of the east I mean considering the way they play is extremely conducive to playoff basketball being able to rely on depth being able to rely on defense and they don't play to the style of their opponents even if they're down by double digits even if they're struggling even if they're shooting as they're coming together they don't chase three pointers or try to slam volume shots like the analytic teams if junkies like to do stick to what were them and it helps them even if you're in losing situations when they're dealing with suspensions when they're dealing with injuries it's been a consistent pattern of success for the Pistons all season and I think that keeps them battle tested I mean it's shown how they've been able to sweep the New York Knicks the regular season how they went three and one against the Boston Celtics how they played against Cavs even with their injuries they shown that they can be competitive with anybody I wouldn't be surprised if they made it all the way to the ECF or possibly to the NBA Finals because they've shown that they have grown and exceeded the expectation and they're that much more prepared a lot of other team even within the foundation that they have so we've been talking a lot about the teams near the top of the Eastern Conference standings or with the Pistons and rightfully so right the Knicks obviously knocked us out last year the Celtics have tamed back the Cavs have the hard and Mitchell duo but I want to talk about the first round right because this is a top seed in the Pistons and this is a different looking Eastern Conference play in tournament usually that playing tournament is a bunch of teams that are like six to seven games under 500 and they're barely kind of hanging on we got four to five teams that still being decided Toronto and Philly are bouncing back and forth between six and seven but we got four to five legitimate teams near the bottom of the east Eric I got to ask you what team do you not want to see in the first round for the Pistons. Oh that's a good question I've been a really big of advocate of the Eastern Conference off even anybody who follows me on social media or my YouTube page top title Detroit I talk very highly about the bottom through the top of the Eastern Conference people think it's just the West versus everybody the East is very dangerous and I think the Pistons can't compete with anybody but there are some teams that I'm a little worried about in terms of their matchup I think teams like Orlando can be dangerous if they're playing at their best basketball granted they've been without Franz Wagner all season but their depth has been really impressive I like some of their scoring options if they have their playing their best ball with Jaylen Suggs Anthony Black guys like that that compliment Palo Baye Caro in the Charlotte Hornets I've been super high on them literally since the beginning of the season I say that they are healthy they are a dangerous basketball team and they've now have risen all the way from the bottom of the east to now that eight seed with an above 500 record at 43 and 36 now granted they're going to be coming into this matchup with a lot of inexperience but I still think playing with house money knowing that they're going to be motivated to play the Pistons after that little melee that they had earlier this season that resulted in Jaylen Duren and beefsooths. I think they're going to be looking for some get back so those are two teams that I'm looking out for but again I think it's a lot of teams and they're very dangerous so the Pistons are going to have to be prepared they can't take anybody lightly it's a monster that they followed all season they're going to have to be prepared for each round especially that opening first where a lot of teams are going to be really hung early and real quick you know the Pistons a lot of people talk about the fact that they don't have a second option right at least in the eyes of you know superstar right I want to get to I want to know who do you think the X-Factor will be for the playoffs obviously you've got Tobias Harris is kind of your secondary scorer Duncan Robinson's your your best three-point shooter Kevin Herder's been you know doing some good things off the bench Danis Jenkins obviously has been a revelation for the team off the bench as well I'm just curious to see where do you think the scoring is going to come from if not from Kate Cunningham because that seems to be the big question that everyone's asking as the playoffs roll around yeah I think a lot of eyes are going to be still centered on Jaylen Duren as that number two guys now to start the season and really since his rookie year he's done a great job as being that complimentary piece next to Kate of just being a lot friend a guy that can just score and do a lot of very large in terms of his scoring but this Kate has been gone and really positive even with Kate was here he's done a really good job of putting the ball on the floor expanding his game as a dangerous scoring threat on his own somewhat to the point where he's even challenging as an all-in-b-a option in terms of his production this season so I think a lot of attention is going to be thrown his way I think the Pistons have done a good job of allowing him to have face down low to kind of abuse some of the you know smaller defenders that he plays against so it's going to be a lot of pressure on him to kind of be the big man in the middle that you know brings a lot of attention takes away a lot of attention from Kate's defenders and you know gives him the production of his needs I definitely agree on some bias hairs they're going to need some shooting from him he's on a good job of being a post-op half-court option as well with a lot of post-season basketball is predicated too but yeah those are the two big names that I think are going to have to step up tremendously on the offensive side to give Kate a little bit of assistance well the Pistons are back at it at home tomorrow night they will play host to the Milwaukee Bucks Eric Vincent beat reporter from clutch points for our Detroit Pistons thank you so much for taking the time my friend he takes off a half an hour anytime y'all have a good one