The Detroit Pistons' performance so far adds up to a strong midseason report card, with more than a few A's up and down the roster.

As they get set to meet on Monday night, here are three reasons the Pistons and Celtics are atop the Eastern Conference.

The Detroit Pistons weren't supposed to be the top team in the Eastern Conference. The Boston Celtics were supposed to be in a transition year after shedding salary last offseason.

Detroit hosts Phoenix at Little Caesars Arena at 7 p.m. ET, with both teams looking to bounce back from recent losses in what promises to be an exciting matchup.

The Detroit Pistons are the top seed in the East and despite massive success, there has been a ton of talk as to whether or not they will make a trade ahead of

Two of the Eastern Conference’s top teams are set to face off on Saturday — and the Celtics could be without Payton Pritchard for the match-up.

“He’s growing every game. He’s getting better and better. He’s got a long way to go, but sky is the limit for Ron,” center Jalen Duren said. “He’s only Year 2 and he’s a guy who’s got some playoff experience, he’s a guy who’s helped us get where we are now. I’m just excited to see him continue to grow into the player that he’s going to be.”

The Celtics have listed four players on their injury report, including starting guard Payton Pritchard, who missed his first game of the season against the Atlanta Hawks.