Vince Ellis

Detroit Free Press

ESPN.com’s Zach Lowe has a weekly feature called “Ten Things I Like and Don’t Like.”

This week’s edition featured two items with readily apparent Detroit Pistons connections.

The highlight was a brief breakdown of the streaking Miami Heat, winners of 13 straight after Friday’s victory over the Brooklyn Nets. The Heat started 11-30 and now is challenging for a playoff spot.

The Pistons were victim No. 7.

Lowe also noted the improvement of Sacramento Kings big man Willie Cauley-Stein, which started during the Kings’ five-point victory at the Palace on Jan. 23. Cauley-Stein has been a disappointment until this recent stretch of games.

Read more:

Leonard, Spurs use 2nd-quarter spurt to sting Pistons, 103-92

Flint youth wins $25K scholarship via Pistons

It shows how quickly things can change in this league.

Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy was quick to point to Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, a guy who coached under him. He cited the rarity of leading a team to four straight NBA Finals, the way Spoelstra piloted the Heat in 2011-14.

“There’s not a better coach in the league than Erik,” Van Gundy said Friday. “People discounted him because he had (LeBron James), (Dwyane) Wade and (Chris) Bosh. Gregg Popovich is one of the best ever. Phil Jackson best ever. Nobody goes to four straight Finals. Nobody. He did. OK?”

Van Gundy called the Heat this season’s best coaching job.

Cauley-Stein surprised the Pistons with an ability to put the ball on the floor. Van Gundy said he was aware that he had that ability, but he did it better that night.

“He did what he could do, but he did it a high level,” Van Gundy said. “I think one of the issues they’ve had with him is that he hasn’t brought that kind of energy on a consistent basis, but when he does, he’s very effective and he had a really good, high-energy game against us.”

D-League update: Although he was only 5-for-15 from the field, Pistons rookie Michael Gbinije went for a double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds in the Grand Rapids Drive’s 109-100 victory over the Greensboro (N.C.) Swarm on Wednesday night.

Van Gundy said it was good to see Gbinije being aggressive.

“I think certainly his aggressiveness down there has picked up,” Van Gundy said. “He was just sort of floating around there for a couple of games. Not hurting them, but not helping them. He’s been much more aggressive — especially on the offensive end of the floor.”

Contact Vince Ellis at vellis@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @vincent_ellis56.