Prior to Dec. 21, the Pistons ranked 17th in EFG (53.7%) and 3-point percentage (35.8%). They’ve benefitted heavily from investing in shooting over the offseason, as all three veterans are knocking down 3s at a high clip.

Doormats and punchlines no more, the Pistons are adding themselves to the list of great surprises in the NBA this season. They’re now 21-19 after winning Monday night against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, meaning they’ll hit the halfway mark of the season with a winning record for the first time since 2017-18.

When it comes to biggest surprises in the NBA this season, the play of the Detroit Pistons deserves a mention. After having the league's worst record last year,

Cade Cunningham scored 36 points, Malik Beasley had 22 and a pair of clutch 3-pointers in the final 40 seconds and the surging Detroit Pistons beat New York 124-119, their second straight victory over the Knicks after dropping the previous 16 meetings.