Duncan Robinson is making a strong case that he’s more than just another shooter in Detroit’s rotation. Early in the season, he’s been one of the Pistons’ driving forces, fresh off a 24-point outing against the Charlotte Hornets and averaging 17.9 points on 44% shooting.
The production is only part of the story. Robinson’s movement without the ball has become a central piece of what Detroit does on offense.
Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has repeatedly pointed to the way Robinson keeps defenders chasing him, curling off back screens and dragging multiple bodies with him.
That kind of attention creates clean looks for teammates, and it often leaves the screener with nobody attached.
The numbers back up how much he changes the floor. Robinson is averaging 8.9 three-point attempts per game and hitting 45.2% of them.
When he’s on the court, Detroit’s offense looks like a different team. When he sits, the rest of the roster is shooting just 33.7% from three.
His shooting and gravity have helped turn the Pistons from a cramped half-court group into a top-12 offensive unit, even with Cade Cunningham on the floor.
There’s more to his value than the jumper, too. Robinson has also become a real factor on defense, leading the Pistons with 2.0 steals per game.
That comes from film study and a better feel for where opposing offenses are trying to go. He’s been jumping careless perimeter passes and disrupting possessions, while also holding up as a steady team defender next to elite athletes like Ausar Thompson.
His positioning and awareness have made him useful in help-and-recover situations, especially when Detroit is trapping. For a player most people still associate with long-range shooting, Robinson has clearly expanded his impact since arriving in the Motor City.
That matters even more with key players such as Jalen Duren temporarily sidelined by injuries. Robinson has taken on a bigger load, playing 30 minutes per game while keeping Detroit’s rhythm intact. Whether the Pistons are trying to close a gap or protect a lead, he’s giving them a calm veteran presence and a player who doesn’t blink when the moment tightens up.
For Detroit, that combination is hard to ignore. Robinson’s scoring, spacing, defense and steadiness are all piling up into the profile of a role player who matters a whole lot more than the label suggests.
In Other News...
Pistons Keep Getting Validation For Letting Isaiah Stewart Go
Isaiah Stewarts move out of Detroit has only added another layer to one of the more quietly important decisions the Pistons made. Since landing in Memphis, Stewart has been putting up career-best production and turning in some eye-catching performances, a reminder of the talent Detroit was willing to part with when it reshaped its frontcourt. Even so, the early returns in Detroit suggest the Pistons did not just give up a useful piece for nothing.
Paul Reed has settled into a bigger role and has actually looked like the better fit for what the Pistons need right now, especially on a team that has started the season with a strong defensive identity. The trade also gave Detroit some financial flexibility, and so far it has not come at the expense of the energy or toughness that has defined the group. For a franchise trying to build with purpose, that kind of validation matters just as much as Stewarts success elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Had A Cade Cunningham Scare They Really Could Not Afford
Cade Cunningham took an unexpected shot to the groin during the Pistons game against the 76ers, a moment that briefly had Detroit holding its breath. The play came on an accidental strike from Joel Embiid, but Cunningham stayed in the game and did not appear to show any lingering effects as the first half went on.
That was a relief for a Pistons team already dealing with another key injury, because Cunninghams availability matters even more when the margin for error is so thin. He had produced nine points, five rebounds and four assists in 20 minutes by halftime, but Detroit still went to the break trailing Philadelphia by double digits with plenty to sort out beyond just the scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Already Face A Big Julius Randle Decision
Julius Randles arrival in Brooklyn came with the kind of buzz that usually follows a major multi-team deal, especially one that also pulled in the Bulls and Timberwolves. For a stretch, it looked like the Nets had landed a veteran frontcourt piece who could help shape their next phase, but the early conversation around the move has shifted quickly as the team weighs where it is headed and how much flexibility it wants to preserve.
The complication is Randles player option, which gives Brooklyn an immediate financial and roster-building question to sort through. Around the league, that has already opened the door to trade speculation, with the Pistons and Hornets among the teams floated as possible fits in different scenarios, though nothing has been finalized. For Detroit, it is the kind of name that naturally enters the conversation whenever a talented veteran becomes available, even if the path from rumor to reality is still very much unsettled. [Read more 🡒]