An eventful offseason for the Detroit Pistons made the last few months feel short. After the dust settled, suddenly, we had games! And with them came plenty of early impressions.
The overarching impression? Detroit looks really good again.
The Pistons have not only won their first three games, but they’ve looked like the big boys against the teams everyone expected to be among the conference’s big boys. All the talk about Detroit regressing this season may have played right into the hands of a team that
needed an edge after a 60-win campaign last year.
Both Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson missed the most recent game against Philadelphia with injuries, yet the team arguably played its most complete game of the young season. The last time we saw Detroit, its weaknesses were exposed. But it’s easy to forget just how dominant the Pistons can look when opponents aren’t ready to match their level of intensity.
Let’s get into three thoughts from Detroit’s opening stretch of wins.
1. Spacing!
Outside of contract situations that dominated the offseason, plenty of noise came from doubters (like myself) who felt the front office hadn’t done enough to add scoring to a team that desperately needed it in the postseason. While I still believe there will eventually be a need, for now, that noise has quieted.
It was evident in the season opener against Boston that there has been a shift toward prioritizing spacing around Cade Cunningham. Duncan Robinson has been excellent through the first three games and clearly has the green light to let it fly, averaging 19.7 points and 5.0 made threes per game. The team as a whole ranks third in the NBA in three-point percentage and fourth in made threes per game.
We may look back at the end of the season and realize that prioritizing depth and shooting this offseason made a lot more sense than going all in on a superstar. On the flip side, teams will start to game-plan differently and try to limit what Detroit has done so well early on. There will likely be some regression to the mean, but for the Pistons to shoot this well against three teams with legitimate championship aspirations is a huge boost.
2. No Stew, no problem?
Isaiah Stewart’s impact on the identity of this new iteration of the “Bad Boy” Pistons has been well documented over the years. A fantastic defensive player, Stewart became a fan favorite during his six seasons in Detroit, making it easy to understand why many took issue with his offseason departure in a trade to Memphis.
His exit also raised questions about whether the team’s defensive identity would take a step back without him. So far, it hasn’t.
Through the first week, Detroit hasn’t skipped a beat defensively compared to what we saw last season. The Pistons rank fifth in points allowed per game, fourth in blocks and second in loose balls recovered. Yes, it’s a small sample size, but these are the kinds of numbers many might have expected to regress immediately without Stewart in the rotation.
That was evident in some games last year when Detroit was without its top players, but it’s increasingly clear that this team’s identity is rooted in collective defensive pride, not just a few standout defenders.
Daniss Jenkins said after the win over Philadelphia, “We feel like we’re the baddest dudes in the world.” That’s exactly what you feel watching this team compete for every possession, especially on the defensive end.
3. Ebuka Okorie’s role
When a top-20 draft pick has a hard time finding minutes on his new team, it’s usually a sign of one of two things: the team is loaded with talent, or the rookie is struggling to earn a role. Detroit likely falls into the former category, as its depth of experienced guards has made it difficult for Stanford rookie Ebuka Okorie to see much playing time through the first few games. Still, I don’t expect that to be a season-long theme.
Okorie got on the floor for a brief stint against Philadelphia and scored his first NBA points at the free-throw line after drawing a foul on a back cut. That short appearance could be a soft launch toward a larger role for a rookie who likely deserves the opportunity after a strong preseason.
Okorie was an immediate spark plug during the preseason, playing well down the stretch of games and, at times, willed the team to victory. Whether it’s because of injuries or his own development, I expect the rookie to find his way onto the floor more consistently at some point.
