The Detroit Pistons have turned into one of the league’s most aggressive 3-point teams, and that shift says plenty about where JB Bickerstaff is taking this offense.
Through 10 games, Detroit has already knocked down 138 shots from beyond the arc, the most in franchise history at this point in a season. At the current pace, the Pistons are on track to blow past the team record. Duncan Robinson has been at the center of it all, averaging more than four made 3s per game and putting himself on pace to top the club mark currently held by Malik Beasley.
That kind of production is a sharp break from last season, when Detroit sat near the bottom of the league in both 3-point attempts and makes. This year, the Pistons have climbed to 16th in attempts after ranking 28th, and they’re converting at a better rate too. They’re now in the top eight in 3-point percentage, a strong complement to a defense that has been leading the league.
Bickerstaff deserves real credit for that change, especially with the roster dealing with injuries for much of the season. The old knocks on him were familiar: not enough creativity on offense, not enough in-game flexibility, and a coach whose best work seemed to come on the defensive end. That reputation has followed him because his teams have generally looked better in the regular season than in the playoffs.
But this version of the Pistons looks different, and so does the offense. Once Trajan Langdon brought in shooters, Bickerstaff adjusted.
The ball moves more. The players move more.
The team is clearly hunting more 3-point looks instead of living almost entirely in the paint.
Detroit still doesn’t want to abandon what it does best, especially once Jalen Duren comes back. But the offense is much less one-dimensional now, and that matters. Bickerstaff is no longer leaning on a roster that had only one good shooter last season, and he’s making better use of the spacing he finally has.
He’s also been more inventive with the pieces in front of him. Duncan Robinson and Kevin Huerter have been used in more creative actions, and their gravity has opened up the floor for everyone else.
The offense has still had its rough stretches, but some of that is tied to missing Duren and the easy scoring he brings. With more shooting around him, that part of Detroit’s attack should become even more dangerous.
Bickerstaff has also shown a willingness to change on the fly. He did it last night by going small and starting Daniss Jenkins instead of Paul Reed. The move produced mixed results with John Collins at center, but it helped the Pistons play faster on offense and run the Wizards off the floor.
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 🡒]