Pistons, winless but optimistic, visit Heat

The Detroit Pistons, who had the worst record in the NBA last season, still are looking for their first win of the 2023-24 campaign.But that doesn’t mean things aren’t looking up.The Pistons, who will visit the Miami Heat on Monday night, are 0-3, with the three losses coming to teams that were in the NBA playoffs last season, including the reigning champion Boston Celtics.Two of their losses have been by six points, the other by 12.The Pistons led the Celtics 112-106 with just over five minutes remaining Saturday, but Boston went on an 8-0 run that Detroit couldn’t recover from in the 124-118 loss.Part of that is due to the Pistons’ long-running problem of being able to close out games. In the first quarter of games this season, the Pistons are averaging 30.3 points. In the fourth quarter, it’s 22.But despite that disparity, Pistons forward Isaiah Stewart is confident in his team.”It’s completely different than last season,” Stewart said. “We have good chemistry. We have confidence. It’s just a different feeling.”One of the additions made by Detroit for this season is 6-foot-5 shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr., the son of the former Heat star. The younger Hardaway, who went to high school in Miami, is averaging 10.7 points this season.The Pistons are under new management this season. Former Duke star Trajan Langdon is the new president of basketball operations, and he hired J.B. Bickerstaff as coach. Bickerstaff led Cleveland to the second round of last season’s NBA playoffs before getting fired.Aside from Hardaway, the Pistons brought in veterans Malik Beasley (14.7 scoring average) and Tobias Harris (10.3).But Detroit relies most on young stars such as Cade Cunningham (27.3 points, 8.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds) and Jaden Ivey (21.7 points, 4.7 assists, 5.0 rebounds).Cunningham is 23, and Ivey is 22.Miami, meanwhile, lost its opener at home against the Orlando Magic, 116-97, and won Saturday at Charlotte.

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