John Collins seems to have a clear read on what the Pistons want from him, and what they want from him is pretty simple: finish plays around Cade Cunningham.
Detroit brought Collins in this offseason to thrive as a play finisher next to Cunningham’s passing, and Collins already sounds locked in on that job. Asked about playing with Cade, he said:
" I pride myself on trying to get a lot of easy baskets, I feel like Cade is a great playmaker."
That fits the profile the Pistons are banking on. Collins gives Detroit a power forward who can space the floor, knock down 3s from different spots and punish defenses at the rim when the ball comes his way. Whether Cunningham is throwing a lob or spraying it out on a kickout, Collins has the tools to cash in.
That off-ball threat matters for more than just Collins’ own numbers. Detroit wanted someone who could take some of the burden off Cade and the rest of the young core, and Collins is built for that.
He has to be accounted for at all times because he is always looking for easy looks if defenders drift away. Tobias Harris may have been better at creating and converting tough shots, but Collins brings the stronger off-ball presence and gives the offense more room to breathe.
The move should also create more space for Ausar Thompson. Collins is not the kind of player who needs the ball in his hands to stay involved, which means Thompson can handle a bigger offensive load without the lane getting crowded around him. Collins’ gravity alone should help Thompson settle into his own rhythm with the ball.
And Collins is not limited to catches and rolls. He also has a solid post game, especially against smaller defenders, which gives Detroit another way to generate easy baskets when matchups line up in his favor.
That versatility is what makes him such a clean fit. Whether he’s working as a roll man, sitting in the dunker spot or playing alongside whatever center is on the floor, Collins should help the Pistons’ offense move more smoothly and function better in the halfcourt. The impact should show up quickly, both in his own production and in how much easier the team’s scoring possessions become.
Detroit already learned last season that making tough shots can only carry you so far. In the playoffs, the Pistons had enough shotmaking to stay dangerous, but they didn’t have enough easy baskets.
With Harris more comfortable taking contested middies than open 3s, defenses were able to load up on Cade and take away Jalen Duren’s rolls to the rim. Cunningham still answered with elite shotmaking, but it clearly wore him down.
This season, the Pistons need cleaner offense from the jump. Collins, with years of experience turning himself into the kind of role player teams want around a star, looks like a big part of that plan.
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Detroit has made at least one concession in the latest version of its offer, which suggests both sides are still trying to find common ground. Even so, the clock is the problem now, and the longer this stretches on, the more it risks becoming a distraction for a team that would much prefer the focus stay on basketball rather than contract talk. [Read more 🡒]
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The personnel moves are only part of it. Bickerstaff also pointed to internal growth as a major piece of the puzzle, expecting Cade Cunningham to keep expanding his role as a leader while Ron Holland continues sharpening the parts of his game that matter most in this system. If those steps come together alongside the new additions, Detroit could look less predictable and a lot more difficult to defend when the season opens. [Read more 🡒]