Duncan Robinson is making an early push that no one over 30 has ever quite pulled off in NBA history.
The Most Improved Player award has been around long enough to establish a pretty clear pattern: it usually goes to younger players, the ones who burst forward with a breakout season or suddenly grab a bigger role and run with it. That’s why Darrell Armstrong’s 1998-99 win still stands out. He was 30 then, and he remains the oldest player ever to take home the honor.
Robinson is trying to crash through that ceiling at 32.
That alone makes his start with the Detroit Pistons worth watching, but the on-court case is getting stronger by the night. It’s only been 10 games, so nobody should pretend the race is settled.
A lot can change between now and the end of the season. Still, Robinson has done exactly what a player needs to do when an opportunity opens up: he’s taken it and turned it into production.
With Jalen Duren and Isaiah Joe missing most of the season, Robinson has been pushed into a larger role, including time as the Pistons’ second scorer. That may not hold once Duren returns, but for now he’s made the most of the extra touches.
He’s averaging 18.6 points per game, which would be the best mark of his career by a comfortable margin. His previous peak was 13.5 points per game, and he averaged 12 last season.
The scoring jump is only part of the story. Robinson’s movement and gravity have become real drivers of the offense, and the shooting numbers back it up.
He’s hitting 46 percent from 3-point range on more than nine attempts a night, forcing defenses to stay locked on him and creating cleaner looks for everyone else. That has mattered especially in the half court, where the Pistons have been better this season, in part because of Robinson’s start.
He’s also adding another wrinkle that hasn’t always been there. Robinson is getting to the line more than four times per game, which would easily be the highest rate of his career.
And then there’s the defensive side, where he’s making a noticeable effort to change the way teams view him. Robinson is averaging 1.5 steals per game, more than Ausar Thompson, and he’s doing it by improving his positioning, reading plays earlier and getting into passing lanes. He knows opponents have treated him like the weak spot on that end, and he’s worked to become more disruptive by getting his hands on the ball.
In Other News...
Daniss Jenkins Is Giving The Pistons A Tough New Decision
Daniss Jenkins has turned a strong start into one of the more interesting roster questions facing Detroit. The guard has given the Pistons steady production, averaging 12.7 points, 4.7 assists and 3.6 rebounds while knocking down 43 percent of his 3-point attempts, and that kind of early impact tends to get noticed quickly in a league that is always looking for useful backcourt pieces.
The tricky part is what comes next. Jenkins is headed toward restricted free agency at seasons end, which gives Detroit control, but not necessarily an easy path to keeping him if the market gets involved or the cap picture tightens. The Pistons also have to weigh the progress of rookie Ebuka Okorie and the contract situation of Paul Reed, which means Jenkins rise may be forcing the front office to think several moves ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Already Have One Early Reason To Feel Better About Collins
The Pistons decision to swap Tobias Harris out and John Collins in at power forward already looks easier to understand in early-season context. Harris, now 34, still has not played this season because of a calf strain, and it has only sharpened the questions that were already hanging over his durability as Detroit weighed its options in free agency.
Collins was never just about talent for the Pistons, either. The appeal was always tied to his availability and the flexibility of his contract, even with the age concern that comes with adding another veteran. For a team trying to stabilize that spot, simply having a player on the floor has been a useful early reminder of why Detroit made the move. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Suddenly Face A Trade Deadline Decision Fans Can't Ignore
Detroits strong 7-3 start has changed the conversation around the franchise in a hurry. With a healthy stash of draft capital and expiring contracts in hand, the Pistons are in position to be more than patient observers ahead of the Feb. 11 trade deadline. They have put themselves in the mix in the Eastern Conference, and the front office now has to weigh whether to keep building organically or use those assets to accelerate the timeline.
The need is fairly clear: secondary scoring and frontcourt depth would both help a team trying to keep pace with Boston and Philadelphia. Names such as John Collins, Duncan Robinson and Naz Reid have already surfaced as possible fits, which tells you the market is starting to take shape around Detroits needs. The bigger question is how aggressive the Pistons want to be, because the right move could help them chase the top of the standings, while the wrong one could cost them the flexibility that got them here. [Read more 🡒]