Duncan Robinson’s value to the Pistons is obvious on one end of the floor. The question is whether he can hold up enough on the other side to stay on the floor when the games tighten up.
Robinson turned in an excellent shooting season in his first year with Detroit last year, and that’s a big reason he’s currently projected to open as the starting shooting guard. His three-point shooting and secondary playmaking give the Pistons a useful boost. But the playoff problems were real, and his defense ended up becoming a weak spot opponents could attack.
That’s the issue Robinson has to clean up this season, especially in isolation defense and especially when the stakes rise. He can’t keep getting picked out as the easy matchup that forces his teammates to scramble over and over again.
The challenge starts right away. Detroit opens against the Celtics, a team that leans hard into drives and threes and also likes to hunt weak defenders. Robinson will be tested immediately.
The margin for error is shrinking, too. The Pistons have enough capable shooters that if Robinson’s defense doesn’t improve, his minutes could eventually take a hit. That probably won’t happen right away, and it might not even come until the playoffs, but it’s on the table.
Fixing the problem isn’t simple. Robinson plays hard on defense, but he doesn’t have the quickness to stick with the league’s top guards or the size to battle the best forwards. In last season’s playoffs, scorers like Paolo Banchero, Donovan Mitchell and James Harden went after him.
Still, Detroit may be the best possible environment for him. The Pistons bring a lot of active help defense, and that gets even more dangerous with Ausar Thompson on the floor. Thompson and other wings can step in to support Robinson in isolation and still recover to their own assignments.
That won’t solve everything. Against teams loaded with shooters and passers at every spot, there will be possessions where Robinson simply has to survive on his own or do a better job of staying out of those matchups in the first place. Strong communication and pre-switching could help keep him attached to weaker scorers instead of letting a star attack him one-on-one.
For that to work, the Pistons have to be locked in defensively and moving in sync. They may not need that level of coordination to get through regular season games, but if that’s the plan for the playoffs, it’s worth getting reps early.
Robinson can also help himself by cleaning up the little mistakes. Last season, he reached too much and picked up fouls in isolation situations. Even at 32, there’s still room for him to improve as an all-around player if he makes the right defensive adjustments.
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John Collins Already Has The Pistons Facing A Tough Defensive Question
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It did not really solve the problem, especially when the matchup tilted toward bigger bodies like Mitchell Robinson. Collins still made his presence felt with a block and work on the offensive glass, but his first game also left Detroit with a real question about how it can best hide him defensively while still getting the most out of what he brings on the other end. [Read more 🡒]
Isiah Thomas Just Reignited A Michael Jordan Debate Bulls Fans Know Well
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Javonte Green May Have Forced His Way Into Detroits Rotation
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For a team trying to sort out its backcourt and wing depth, that kind of impact matters. Greens scoring off the bench stood out in a night that also featured big performances elsewhere around the league, but his performance had the most direct consequence for Detroit because it came in the exact kind of role the Pistons need to stabilize. Whether that translates into a real, lasting place in the rotation is the next question. [Read more 🡒]