The Detroit Pistons clinched the Eastern Conference's top seed with a 57-21 record, completing one of the most improbable turnarounds in NBA history [1].

Two seasons ago, these Pistons finished 14-68 — the worst record in the league and one of the worst in NBA history. They were a punchline. Draft lottery fodder. The kind of team opposing coaches used as a confidence builder on the schedule. Now the road to the NBA Finals in the East goes through Detroit.

The catalyst is Cade Cunningham, the first overall pick from 2021 who has grown into a legitimate MVP candidate. Cunningham's development from raw talent to franchise cornerstone mirrors the organization's transformation. When he suffered a collapsed lung earlier this season — a terrifying injury that sidelined him for weeks — the team responded by going 8-2 without him, a stretch that proved the rebuild was not about one player.

Detroit has not held the East's top seed since 2007, when the remnants of the Chauncey Billups era were still contending. That feels like ancient history. This version of the Pistons was built through the draft, through patience, and through an organizational commitment to development that looked delusional when the losses were piling up.

The regular season is not the playoffs. Detroit has no postseason pedigree in this era. The young roster will face pressure it has never experienced. But for a franchise and a city that have endured decades of irrelevance, clinching the top seed is a milestone worth marking.

The playoffs begin next week. Detroit has home court all the way through.

-- AMARA OKONKWO, Lagos