Order of the Blazing Horse

The Pistons are back from the All-Star break, Jalen Duren is back from suspension, the Pistons are back to their winning ways, and amazing guest Jamel Johnson is back joining the Order of the Blazing Horse. The duo (Deuce/Duren) has been incredible since the return, with one hard-fought loss to the San Antonio Spurs, as Detroit looks to close out the last remaining difficult stretch of their season. Harry and Mickey talk the apparent playoff rotation, Ron Holland II's explosiveness, Ausar's accountability against the Spurs, and their championship chances.

The Order is honored to be joined by another dynamic duo (no, not Cade and JD), but Josh and Kwab of The Dime! The quartet discusses Cade Cunningham's shot at winning MVP, the budding Pistons/Knicks rivalry, and whether or not the East is really as weak as the national narrative suggests. They close with their very own solution to the tanking conundrum - drafting punishments/humiliations for tanking teams. Praise horse.

Friend of the pod, Doug “Duglust” Berns returns to discuss his latest opuses… or is it opai? Either way, he talks about working with Ben Stiller (again!) and writing a Spanish song to honor the Knicks’ acquisition of Jose Alvarado and Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show. Then, the guys discuss the pros and cons of Beef Stew’s fighting spirit before playing an Eastern Conference Playoffs edition of Who Would You Rather Face?

Hey now, JD's an All-Star. We got 2 now (3 w/ J.B.). Go PLAAAAY. The Order of the Blazing Horse congratulates Jalen Duren on his first All-Star selection and break down what has made him such a special player this year. Then, they discuss the end of Jaden Ivey's Detroit tenure, the arrival of Kevin Huerter and Dario Saric, and the myriad ways Trajan Langdon can make moves to secure Daniss Jenkins a standard contract and roster spot on the Detroit Pistons before his 2-way availability (and the trade deadline) runs out. Plus, Harry and Mickey make an offer to the lords of chance in event the Pistons win 40 games before the All-Star break.

Harry and Mickey rank 21 trade targets names they've seen in rumors and/or flat out fan dreams, based on skillset, team fit, and potential cost.

A loss to the Houston Rockets, the Order swallows a reality pill regarding the Pistons' offense and looks forward to the future. Mickey and Harry are joined by writer and Kings fan Whitney Ralls to discuss the upcoming matchup against Sacramento, Piston trade candidates Malik Monk and Keon Ellis, and the sad state of the Kings in general. They close by bringing back a fan favorite game, "Who You Talkin' Bout, Reddit?" - this time in the battle of Maliks (Monk and Beasley).

Eastern challengers? No chance. No (All-Star Starter) Cade? No problem. The Detroit Pistons have rattled off 4 straight wins from our last show, including a massively important statement game against the Boston Celtics and then shutting down Piston trade dream darling Trey Murphy III. Their defense has been the best in the league for the last two months (a DEFRTG of 99.8 in 2026!!!), but their offense has been... a bit of a mess. On top of that, their is congestion in the rotation, and as the season nears the trade deadline on February 5th, the Pistons have some tough decisions to make. Mickey and Harry go over their options, wax poetic about their defense, and give some props to Dunc, Unc, and Duren. Plus, the Order tries to name each others' Non-Piston Player Crushes.

The Order is blessed to be joined once again by special guest Bryce Simon (@MotorCityHoops and  @GameTheoryPodcastwSamVecenie  ). They put a few different hats on his head, put the coals to his feet, and ask some burning (blazing even) questions facing this Detroit Pistons' staff as the team prepares for the final 4 weeks before the trade deadline. How can Fred Vinson improve the free throw shooting? What would J.B. Bickerstaff's playoff rotation be as of now? What kind of move, if any, will Trajan Langdon make to get Cade Cunningham some shooting/scoring help? What do you do with Jaden Ivey, Tobias Harris, Caris LeVert, Marcus Sasser, the trade exception (TPE)?

After back to back dubs on back to back nights against the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks, the Detroit Pistons surely have laid to rest all the debate about who the best team in the Eastern Conference is, no? Mickey and Harry welcome back Doug Berns (@duglust) to the show, and talk reactions to the Pistons' defense devouring the Knicks. It's all love, though, as they close on a game of Mensch or Bench, DET/NY edition.

The Pistons are on a bit of a skid, having lost 3 of 4 (with an absolute beatdown of the Lakers breaking it up), and questions loom large for this squad as they kick off the new year. Mickey and Harry talk Jalen Duren and Tobias Harris' injuries, the impact of Marcus Sasser, Ron Holland and Isaiah Stewart's defense, Cade's MVP case, Ivey's development, and offer some New Year's Resolutions the Detroit Pistons should consider.