Cavs at Pistons Game Preview

May the best COTY win

The Cleveland Cavaliers get to put a stamp on the case for Kenny Atkinson’s candidacy for Coach of the Year.

Who: Cleveland Cavaliers (59-14) at Detroit Pistons (41-32)

Where: Little Ceasars Arena, Detroit, MI

When: 7 PM EST

TV: FanDuel Sports Ohio

Line: Cavs -8.5

Expected Cavs starting lineup: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, DeAndre Hunter, Jarrett Allen

Cavs injury report: NOT YET SUBMITTED

Expected Pistons starting lineup: Dennis Schroder, Tim Hardaway Jr, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duran

Pistons injury report: Cade Cunningham - OUT (Calf), Ron Harper Jr - OUT (G-League), Jaden Ivey - OUT (Left Fibula), Tolu Smith - OUT (G-League)

What to watch for

Atkinson versus Bickerstaff

This isn’t going to be a case of propping one guy up and putting another one down. Both coaches have done impressive work for their respective organizations. The narrative was always going to revolve around these two once they both found their groove with their new clubs.

Let’s start with former Cavaliers head coach JB Bickerstaff. Bickerstaff took over a Pistons club that was treading water both in the standings and in terms of team morale. Having gone through a disastrous season like that was a tall task for any coach to take hold of.

Bickerstaff took no time to make this Pistons team gel and have some semblance of an identity. As of March 28, 2025, the Pistons have secured 41 wins, marking a substantial turnaround from their 14-win season the prior year. Cade Cunningham’s player trajectory has catapulted from empty calories low low-efficiency shot taking to now being considered for an All-NBA team. The Pistons essentially have locked in a non-play-in playoff seed. That type of turnaround is so extreme, and credit deserves to be thrown Bickerstaff’s way.

Atkinson, the successor to Bickerstaff, also has built a strong case for Coach of the Year. Having taken over for a Cavaliers team that appeared to have gone cold under the coaching of JB, something needed to change. In comes a handpicked coach by Donovan Mitchell, Atkinson needed to make a strong impression.

After spending years on the Warriors staff, Atkinson brought the offensive mentality the Warriors have preached for the better part of a decade. The biggest beneficiaries of the switch have been to Evan Mobley and Darius Garland. The rejuvenated play of both to an All-Star form have been a testament to Atkinson’s offensive freedom and creativity.

Leaps like this from those two have shown what a different philosophy can do for an organization that has stayed status quo. The Cavaliers are the number one seed in the East and are competing for the number one record in the entire league. Having gone on multiple long win streaks, including two of the top three in the league at 15 and 16 games, Atkinson and the Cavaliers' dominance should not be ignored when ballots need to be cast.

You can watch the game live with us on Playback.