Whether you believe the Detroit Pistons improved or regressed this offseason, one thing that should be clear is that replicating a 60-win season is incredibly difficult.How does a team outdo itself after producing two All-Star and All-NBA selections on the way to securing the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference? The reality is, the Pistons’ win total this coming season won’t matter as much as how well they produce during the playoffs. Detroit has learned from back-to-back seven-game series against lower seeds that regular-season success doesn’t always translate in the postseason.For the Pistons to punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference finals and surpass last season’s success — in a far more competitive East — they will have to overcome several challenges.Detroit boasted the second-best defense in the NBA last season after ranking 10th in 2024-25 — coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s first season. But the Pistons will be without one of the NBA’s best rim protectors, Isaiah Stewart, off the bench after they traded him to the Memphis Grizzlies. And they added John Collins, who owns a negative defensive box plus-minus in six of his nine seasons, indicating defensive shortcomings, as the presumptive starting power forward.Detroit is still waiting on a second perimeter scoring threat to aid Cade Cunningham. Is this the year Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland II can complement their defensive prowess by becoming reliable scoring options? The Pistons have been one of the deeper teams in the league over the past two seasons, but how will their bench fare this time around?Here’s an attempt to tackle some of these issues before Detroit hits the hardwood.Why Jalen Duren is still a free agentHunter Patterson and Jeshua KiddMaintaining a top defensive unitThe Pistons’ identity begins and ends with defense. Detroit led the NBA in steals (10.4) and blocks (6.4) per game and was second in defensive rating (108.9) and points off turnovers (21.5). It goes without saying the Pistons’ offense is predicated on its defense. Thompson can mask about as many defensive deficiencies as anyone not named Victor Wembanyama.While Collins’ defensive numbers haven’t been as stout as Tobias Harris’, Collins is five years younger, more athletic, and now in a system that prioritizes defense more than any of his previous stops.