After dropping two straight, JB Bickerstaff reached into the starting lineup and made a swing-for-the-fences move: Daniss Jenkins got the nod, Paul Reed went to the bench, and John Collins slid into the starting center spot.
It was a clear bet on offense. Detroit had been stuck in stretches of stagnation over its previous two games, with the attack leaning too heavily on the Cade Cunningham pick-and-roll and the ball not moving enough. Bickerstaff added another guard to juice the group, and the result was a faster, livelier Pistons offense.
The gamble paid off in the standings. Detroit won the game, and the new look did help spark some encouraging signs on that end. But the downside was just as obvious, and it’s the kind of tradeoff the Pistons probably won’t be able to live with most nights.
Anthony Davis made sure of that.
Davis has a history of big scoring nights against Detroit, and he nearly took another one to the record books. He poured in 30 points in the first half alone, and the Pistons had little answer for him early. Detroit couldn’t keep him out of the paint, and with Jalen Duren still sidelined, the rebounding problems showed up again.
The good news for the Pistons was that Washington didn’t get much from anyone else. The Wizards’ bench managed only 10 points combined, while Kevin Huerter topped that by himself with 12. That lack of support gave Detroit room to pull away behind its depth.
The real separator was the pace. Detroit turned Washington over 19 times and kept pushing after the steals, turning those mistakes into 19 fast-break points.
The Wizards had just four. That gap was the game.
Playing small gave the Pistons speed and energy, and it also helped them avoid getting bogged down in half-court possessions, where they’ve often looked less comfortable. It also helped them draw fouls, and Detroit got to the line 31 times. This time, unlike the previous game, the free throws actually went in.
So yes, the Collins-at-center look brought more life to the offense. It also left Detroit undersized, vulnerable on the glass, and exposed to a monster night from Davis, who finished with 44 points. That’s the deal when the Pistons go small: more speed, more pressure, more offense - and a lot less protection when a star big man starts rolling.
In Other News...
Pistons May Have Found A Needed Answer While Jalen Duren Sits
With Jalen Duren sidelined, the Pistons turned to a different look against the Wizards and got exactly the kind of response they needed. John Collins drew the start at center for the first time this season, and the move came after Detroit had dropped two straight, so there was a little more urgency behind the decision than a simple lineup tweak.
Collins rewarded the coaching staff with a strong all-around showing, finishing with 24 points and 10 rebounds in a dominant win. The performance gives Detroit a potentially useful short-term answer in the middle while Duren is out, and it leaves the Pistons with something to consider if they want to keep that look going. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Exposed A Wizards Problem Anthony Davis Couldnt Ignore
The Wizards recent slide has been about more than just missed shots and empty possessions. After four straight losses, their defense has become the bigger concern, with Anthony Davis pointing to the kind of breakdowns that usually show up in the ugliest kinds of defeats: poor rebounding, too much fouling and far too many clean looks for opponents. What had looked like an early-season strength has slipped into a more ordinary place, and the offense has not been good enough to cover for it.
For a Pistons team watching the East closely, that kind of decline is hard to ignore because it changes how Washington has to play every night. The Wizards are no longer getting the defensive edge that helped them start well, and once that foundation cracks, the rest of the roster has to work harder to keep games under control. The lingering question now is whether this is just a rough stretch or the start of a deeper problem they have not fixed yet. [Read more 🡒]
Ebuka Okorie Is Giving Pistons Fans A Real Rotation Debate
Ebuka Okorie did not need long to make a case for himself against the Wizards. In just under six minutes, the rookie scored five points and flashed the kind of touch that can catch a coachs eye, finishing through contact on an and-one layup and adding a floater that hinted at more than emergency minutes down the road. For a Pistons team always weighing development against immediate stability, those brief stretches can matter more than the box score suggests.
The problem for Okorie is that the path to a real role is crowded, with Daniss Jenkins holding the backup point guard spot and limiting the rookies chances to get consistent run. Detroit seems content to use Okorie in blowout situations for now, giving him experience without forcing the issue in tighter games. Still, every small burst like this keeps the conversation alive about whether the Pistons should find a larger place for him sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]