Jalen Duren’s ongoing restricted free agency standoff wasn't the only topic discussed at the Detroit Pistons’ media day on Monday, Sept. 28.
Yes, really.
Duren drama aside, it has been a long time since the Pistons were this interesting entering training camp. TComing off of their third 60-win season in franchise history, and their deepest playoff run since 2008, they feature (eventually) two bonafide stars in Duren and Cade Cunningham, and their supporting cast – led by reigning All-Defense first-teamer Ausar Thompson – is among the league’s deepest.
Here are four topics that stood out Monday.
New additions can revamp Pistons’ offense beyond the arc
Compared to the rest of the Eastern Conference, the Pistons' offseason was
far from splashy, with John Collins, Isaiah Joe and Taurean Prince as their biggest acquisitions, to go along with first-round pick Ebuka Okorie.
The Pistons were among the least-frequent 3-point shooters last seasons, while coming in around average in accuracy. Collins, Joe and Prince all shot at least 40% on 3s last season and should improve the team’s ceiling from the perimeter. An offense that ranked 10th overall has a chance to improve, and they will give the coaching staff more optionality at more positions.
“I think we’ll be able to spread the floor better,” president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon said Monday. “I think we have more shooting at different positions too, so that was important for us. And letting our core three players – Cade, Ausar, JD – just having more room to operate. Being able to stretch the floor, it’s not only line of vision, attacking areas, finishing around the rim with less people and also to piggyback, you get more open shots with shooters that can make shots.”
Cunningham has never been surrounded by a better cast of shooters. With Duncan Robinson still in tow, the Pistons now have the ability to surround their superstar guard with five players who will command the full attention of opposing defenses.
“It’s a huge help and it’s on me to make sure I make their job easier as well in getting them good passes and allowing them space for us by getting them good passes, by beating somebody and getting them open shots,” Cunningham said.
Growth will look different in improved East
The Eastern Conference, on paper, is both stronger at the top and deeper. The Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat added superstar talent. After a rebuilding year, the Indiana Pacers will hope to grow from their 2025 NBA Finals appearance with Tyrese Haliburton back from a torn Achilles. The defending champion New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics remain in the contending conversation, among others.
For the Pistons, it means they won’t be able to use wins as their lone measure for success. It will be harder to win 60 games, and they understand that improvements are needed, even if they won't be reflected in the record.
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“I don’t know if any team in the East wins 60, just because it’ll be that competitive, so that’s not going to be the barometer of our success, did we win more games than the past year,” Langdon said. “It’s, can we be a better team come playoff time than we were last year? Obviously we have to get there, but I think a lot of wha,t went into the decisions that were made on the roster this season, is can we be a better team? Can we be more versatile? Can we have more options on both ends of the floor?
“For large parts of the season we’ll be figuring out what that means. Hopefully we can get to the postseason and when we do, there’s nothing we haven’t seen, there’s a ton of optionality and versatility that can be deployed and used by the coaching staff on the roster.”
The Pistons’ formula for success is clear – find ways to improve on the margins offensively while sustaining a defense that ranked No. 2 last season. They will miss Isaiah Stewart’s presence in the paint, but bigger roles for Thompson, Ron Holland and Paul Reed will help them absorb the loss.
“The East is good, obviously,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “The amount of talent that’s flooded the East and the way teams have been built and been put together. We don’t really give a [expletive] about what everybody else is doing. The only thing that matters to us is what we do. We know what Pistons basketball looks like. If we play Pistons basketball, we like our chances versus anybody.”
Extending Ausar Thompson was a priority – for both sides
The most significant move of the offseason might be the five-year, $155 million extension to secure Thompson’s future in Detroit. Now entering his fourth season, he has grown into perhaps the NBA’s most disruptive defender not named Victor Wembanyama.
It was important for Thompson to make a long-term commitment this summer, and for the Pistons to get a deal across the finish line.
“He’s the kind of a young man and player that you want in terms of, he’s going to bring it every day, he’s going to compete every day, he’s going to work his butt off and you know he’s going to reach his potential,” Langdon said. “We’re very happy and excited to get an extension done and we know he’s gonna become the best possible player he can and continue to impact the Detroit Pistons for the foreseeable future.”
A leap may be in store for Ron Holland
It has been an atypical journey for Holland, compared to many No. 5 overall picks. Emerging as a key rotation player for a contending team last season, he was the Pistons second-best perimeter defender last season, after Thompson. But he mostly came off of the bench due to the depth in front of him, and fell out of the rotation during the playoffs.
Now entering his third season, Holland could see his role expand, with room for growth as a shooter and ball-handler; both were areas of emphasis for him in workouts this summer.
“Going out there and playing with pace and really just making shots,” he said Monday of his goals. “If I’m making shots, I feel like it opens my game up. Everybody knows I’m fast, I like to play in transition and play off the catch. If I’m making shots, defenders gotta respect me and I’ll be able to show my game from there."
His coach agreed.
“He impacts the game in so many different ways that he has to continue to be able to do that. I don't want to put Ron in a box and say you can only play defense,” Bickerstaff added. “That’s not who he is. He’s got an offensive game where he can get to the basket, he can finish at a high level. I expect him to be more aggressive. I expect him to find his spots more. He’s been working tirelessly on his shot and shooting it with more confidence and belief, so we expect him to have an impact for us this year.”
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Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on X and/or Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Pistons takeaways from media day: Expectations high for Ron Holland
