Isaiah Joe arrives in Detroit with a skill set the Pistons badly needed last season, and that alone makes him worth watching as the new campaign opens Tuesday against the Boston Celtics.
The offseason addition from the Oklahoma City Thunder is expected to become the Pistons’ top perimeter threat, sliding into a major bench role and possibly earning starts here and there. But his value goes beyond just drilling threes. Detroit looks poised to lean on him as an X-factor, the kind of player who can tilt a game even when he isn’t dominating the ball.
Joe also brings something this roster can use right away: a championship background. He was part of Oklahoma City’s 2025 NBA title run, giving him playoff experience, winning habits, and the kind of calm presence that can matter on a young, hungry team.
His fit with coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s group should be immediate in theory.
Joe’s shooting can open the floor for explosive, defense-first wings, help Ausar Thompson, and give the second unit more offensive options. That spacing should also matter for Cade Cunningham, who will draw plenty of defensive attention and benefit from a true catch-and-shoot threat nearby.
Joe is coming off the best scoring season of his career, averaging 11.1 points while hitting 42.3% from three. That kind of production makes him more than just a spot-up option; it makes him a player defenses have to account for every time he steps on the floor. If opponents collapse on Cunningham or load up elsewhere, Joe has the kind of release valve Detroit can trust.
There’s also a fresh start element here. In Oklahoma City, even during a career year, Joe often stayed in the background. In Detroit, he gets the chance to carve out a bigger identity and make his mark in a role that should suit him.
Still, the early returns in preseason have been uneven. Joe opened with a combined 1-for-13 from deep in his first few outings before showing better signs against the Minnesota Timberwolves. That’s not the kind of start that sets off alarms, but it is a reminder that he’ll need to settle in quickly.
The Pistons won 60 games last season and will be looking to keep that momentum rolling. For Joe, the assignment is clear: provide the spacing, hit the perimeter shots, and become the dependable floor-stretcher Detroit expects him to be.
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Bostons season opener quickly turned into a reminder that early NBA games can still say plenty about where a team is headed. The Celtics built a 22-point lead against Detroit, only to let it slip away in a loss that had Jayson Tatum finishing with 13 points on rough shooting while Paul George carried the offensive load with 38 points and also made his presence felt on the defensive end.
Social media did what it always does after a collapse like that, with fans split between frustration at the coaching and player execution and calls to remember how long the season is. From Detroits perspective, it was the kind of result that can travel well beyond one night, because handing Boston an opener like that immediately changes the tone around the Celtics and gives the Pistons an early jolt of attention. [Read more 🡒]