MIAMI – The Detroit Pistons made deliberate moves this offseason to become a better 3-point shooting team. After just two games, the results have been positive.
They were red hot beyond the arc in their 128-111 blowout of the Miami Heat on Friday, Oct. 23
, hitting 48.6% of their 3s on 38 tries. The performance matched their 2025-26 season high for made 3s, albeit when they took one less 3, against the Utah Jazz on Dec. 26.It was an improvement on their season-opening win over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, when they went 15-for-40. But even that 37.5% mark was 19 points better than their 35.6% mark during the 2025-26 season and 17 points better than their playoff mark (over 14 games).
in the next 3 games
The Pistons made at least 15 3-pointers 15 times last season. They're already 2-for-2 in hitting that threshold this year. It's still early in the 2026-27 season but those performances suggest president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon improved one of his team's biggest weaknesses.
"That was point of emphasis over the summer, to be able to make some of those decisions to help find that space and we knew, and we’re still finding our way defensively," coach J.B. Bickerstaff said Friday. "I don’t think we’ve been our best that way yet. But last year when you look at it, when we made over 10 3s or 12 3s what our records were in games. Trajan and those guys did a great job of addressing it, but it just makes us hard to guard. When we’ve got guys that can attack the paint and not settle and then have those guys as kickouts, teams have tough decisions to make."
The Pistons won 60 games last season despite being one of the most underwhelming outside-shooting teams in the league. They were slightly below the league average of 36.2%. But the bigger issue was volume, or lack thereof – only 31.3% of their overall shot attempts came from behind the arc, the second-lowest rate in the NBA (according to Cleaning The Glass).
Their moves over the past year were meant to address both accuracy and volume. Isaiah Joe, added via trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder, has been one of the best in the league in both categories, as a career 40.6% shooter from 3, even while averaging 6.2 3-point attempts over the previous two seasons. John Collins, a power forward, shot north of 40% from 3 over his last two seasons, on 3.4 3s attempted per game. Kevin Huerter, who arrived at the February trade deadline, adds to a group that includes Javonte Green and Duncan Robinson.
Though the Pistons didn't need to hit 3-pointers to win games last season, they were a better team when they did. When the Pistons made at least 10 3s, they were 43-11, compared to 17-11 otherwise.
"We’ve got a lot of guys that can shoot it freely," said Robinson, who scored 17 points (including five 3s) on Friday. "When you’re clear in your mind, it just comes from the group encouraging guys, coaching staff encouraging guys, it becomes a lot easier to shoot.
"Part of it is intent, coming after the right shots, and then part of it is just the group’s skill set. We’ve got guys that can really gun it and are being encouraged to shoot. The way we can defend and then get out in transition and attack the paint, being able to make teams pay from behind the line is big as well."
Through two games, Robinson is 10-for-19 from 3. Green erupted in Tuesday's second half, going 5-for-8 beyond the arc in the second half. It was Collins' turn on Friday, as he lead the team with 23 points on 5-for-6 shooting on 3s.
The Pistons appear to have shooting at every position, and multiple guys who can heat up. Collins and Paul Reed, who went 2-for-2 on 3s on Friday, are capable of providing spacing from the center position. The wing group is deep – Robinson, Huerter, Joe, Green and Taurean Prince are respected shooters who draw defenders. Cade Cunningham, who went 2-for-3 on Friday, and Daniss Jenkins are capable at the guard position.
Friday's near-50% mark beyond the arc from the Pistons is probably not sustainable, but even a mark above 40% – the Pistons are at 42.3% heading into their game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday (7:30 p.m,, TV20) – on 39 attempts per game would put them among the league's best. The Denver Nuggets led the NBA in percentage at 39.6% last season, while the Golden State Warriors topped the league at 44.1 3s attempted per game. The Pistons, meanwhile, attempted at least 39 3-pointers just nine times last season.
"It’s been not necessarily a point of emphasis for us, but we obviously have a lot of great shooters on this team and a lot of great playmakers," Collins said Friday. "Trying to figure out the chemistry, iron everything out. We have a lot of guys who can obviously launch it, let it go and really do damage from outside."
Make "The Pistons Pulse" your go-to Pistons podcast, listen available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) or watch live on YouTube.
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on X and/or Bluesky.
Next up: 76ers
Matchup: Pistons (2-0) at Philadelphia (2-0 entering Saturday).
Tipoff: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25; Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia.
TV/radio: WMYD-TV (Ch. 20 in Detroit; WWJ-AM (950).
Streaming: DaZN Detroit.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons invested in 3-point shooting, and it's working
