Javonte Green’s Career-Best Double-Double Sparks Pistons’ 8th Straight Win—Is Detroit’s New Starter the NBA’s Breakout Story of 2025?

Detroit — Javonte Green’s relentless energy has become the heartbeat of a Detroit Pistons squad that has vaulted to the top of the Central Division at 10-2, riding an eight-game winning streak that has Little Caesars Arena buzzing. The 32-year-old swingman’s breakthrough moment came three nights ago in Washington, when injuries to Ausar Thompson and Tobias Harris pushed Green into the starting lineup. He responded with 11 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal across 38 high-leverage minutes, sealing a 137-135 overtime victory and his first double-double of the season. It was the kind of two-way performance head coach J.B. Bickerstaff envisioned when Detroit scooped Green up on a one-year deal in August after a late-season stint in Cleveland. Key factors behind Green’s surge 1. Defensive disruption • Ranking among team leaders in deflections and steals per 36 minutes, Green has given Detroit a perimeter stopper to pair with Cade Cunningham. His 1.0 steal average barely hints at the loose balls he forces that ignite transition offense. 2. Rebounding grit from the wing • At 6-foot-5, Green attacks the glass like a power forward, an attribute honed during four seasons overseas in Spain and Italy. His put-backs and kick-out boards have extended Detroit possessions in crunch time. 3. Three-point confidence • After shooting 31 percent from deep last year, Green re-tooled his release over the summer. He is knocking down a career-best 37 percent on catch-and-shoot triples, spacing the floor for Cunningham-Stewart pick-and-roll actions. Locker-room catalyst Veteran Isaiah Stewart calls Green “our spark plug,” noting that his pre-game talk — “No plays off, every rebound’s ours” — has become a team mantra. That voice matters for a roster with seven players 24 or younger. Upcoming gauntlet Detroit opens a four-game homestand Tuesday against Indiana before marquee tests versus Milwaukee and Boston. With Harris and Thompson still day-to-day, Green’s minutes figure to stay north of 30. Scouts from multiple contenders were spotted courtside in D.C., a reminder that Detroit’s offseason gamble on the journeyman wing may turn into one of the league’s top bargain signings. Why the buzz matters now Search interest around Green has spiked as fantasy-basketball managers scour waivers for defensive stats and as Pistons fans hunt for tickets during the franchise’s best start since 2006. If Green maintains even modest offensive production, his mix of hustle plays and highlight-reel dunks should keep his name trending — and keep Detroit in the conversation as a legitimate Eastern Conference threat. Bottom line Javonte Green isn’t just filling holes; he’s patching Detroit’s past defensive leaks and powering its fastest start in nearly two decades. Expect the noise around his breakout to grow louder with every steal, every put-back and every win the Pistons stack this November.