New York — In the first 31 games, the Pistons have shown an ability to rise to the level of some of the top teams in the league, sink to the depths of some of the dregs and be middling with many of the mediocre squads.
It's a maddening seesaw ride for coach Stan Van Gundy, who has tried to tame the team into being more consistent on a game-to-game basis, not looking at individual opponents — much like the gauntlet of playoff contenders they're in the midst of playing.
They've gotten surprising wins at home against the Boston and at Chicago and Miami but lost at Atlanta and at home to Boston on Saturday.