J.B. Bickerstaff is walking into a very different kind of challenge with the Pistons next season.
Last year’s Detroit group gave him something he’s long been known for building: a defense that could stand up to just about anybody. The Pistons finished with the 2nd-best defense in the league, and Bickerstaff helped shape that identity.
But when the playoffs arrived, the offense was the weak spot. Detroit didn’t have enough variety, shooting or ball handling to keep up.
This offseason changed the equation in a major way. The Pistons added Isaiah Joe, John Collins and Taurean Prince, then brought back Kevin Huerter, giving the roster even more shooting to go with Duncan Robinson. That leaves Bickerstaff with a new kind of puzzle: how to keep enough spacing and shooting on the floor for Cade Cunningham without giving too much back on defense.
That’s a very different ask than the one he faced a year ago.
Detroit’s old issue was simple enough. There usually wasn’t more than one reliable 3-point shooter on the floor at the same time, which made life cramped on offense.
Now, with Collins, Robinson, Joe, Huerter and Prince in the mix, Bickerstaff should be able to keep at least two shooters out there almost all the time. That should help Cunningham and Ausar Thompson find more room to operate.
But the flip side is obvious. The Pistons lost one of their defensive anchors in Isaiah Stewart and a strong team defender in Tobias Harris, and in their place they’ve added shooters like Joe and Collins, who aren’t known for their defense. If Bickerstaff leans into small-ball looks or lineups loaded with shooting around Cunningham, opponents are going to test those weaker defenders.
That’s where the real challenge sits. Bickerstaff has to find a way to get the shooting on the floor and preserve enough defense so Detroit doesn’t get exposed.
Ausar Thompson helps make that balancing act easier. He can cover a ton of ground, clean up mistakes and defend all over the court, which gives Bickerstaff more flexibility with the rest of the lineup.
So while last season was about squeezing enough offense out of a defense-first roster, next season brings the opposite problem. The Pistons now have plenty of shooting. The question is whether Bickerstaff can arrange it in a way that still leaves them strong enough on the other end.
In Other News...
Jalen Duren May Be Weighing A Risky Bet On His Future
The offseason chatter around Jalen Duren has started to feel bigger than a typical extension conversation, especially after Sacramento reportedly explored a sign-and-trade and Detroit showed no interest in dealing him. Duren also recently met with Pistons GM Scott Perry, and the message from that discussion appears to be that the organization still sees a future with him, even if that future may not require a long-term deal right away.
For Duren, the path to true leverage may be the riskier one. Accepting a qualifying offer would put him on track for free agency next summer, a move that could set up a bigger payday if his market develops the way he hopes. But it also leaves him exposed, with the possibility that a team like the Kings could still try to make a run at him while Detroit weighs whether to keep building around a young center whose next decision could shape both his market and the Pistons' frontcourt plans. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Still Have The Same Cade Cunningham Problem Again
The Pistons are heading into the 2026-27 season with a familiar problem hanging over the roster, and it starts with how much of the offense still has to run through Cade Cunningham. Detroit does not have a deep group of self-created shot-makers behind him, which leaves J.B. Bickerstaff trying to balance development, spacing and enough reliable scoring options to keep the half-court offense from stalling out.
One part of the answer could come from the frontcourt, where the team is hoping to keep Jalen Duren in the fold and squeeze more offense from the rest of the big-man rotation. Detroit is also weighing a stronger lean toward three-point shooting and larger roles for players such as Paul Reed and John Collins, but the broader question remains the same: can the Pistons find enough creation around Cunningham, or will the offense once again be forced to improvise as the roster shifts? [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Still Have A Chance To Make Another Meaningful Move
After a busy offseason that brought five roster additions, the Pistons have already reshaped the edges of the roster with trades for Isaiah Joe, Taurean Prince and Gary Harris, plus free agent signings of John Collins and Elijah Harkless. Cade Cunningham remains the clubs top salary, and the front office has made clear it is willing to keep building around the core rather than standing still after last seasons push.
Jalen Durens extension talks add another layer to the picture, because Detroit is still balancing present-day improvement with long-term planning. The larger point is hard to miss: even after the recent flurry of moves, the Pistons still have room to keep working, and with their stockpile of future draft capital, they remain set up to chase another meaningful upgrade if the right opportunity comes along. [Read more 🡒]