The Pistons don’t look like the same team they were a year ago, and that matters in a matchup like this one.
Detroit’s biggest issue last season showed up against teams that could stack rim protectors and still get away with it. If the Pistons couldn’t live in the paint, they didn’t have much else to fall back on. That kind of setup made life easy for opponents who could crowd Cade Cunningham, shrink the floor and let their bigs clean up mistakes.
Miami brings a version of that problem into the building with Giannis and Bam Adebayo, two strong rim protectors who can make a defense feel crowded in a hurry. That means Detroit’s front court is walking into a real test, but it’s also the kind of game that shows why the roster looks different now.
The major shift is simple: the Pistons added shooting. That gives JB Bickerstaff more ways to line up three, maybe even four shooters around Cunningham, which forces defenses into a choice they couldn’t avoid last season.
Protect the paint, or stay glued to the 3-point line. They can’t do both at once.
That should make a difference for Cunningham, who ought to have a clear advantage against Miami’s guards if the floor is spaced properly. If the Heat help off Ausar Thompson with a wing, Detroit has to move the ball quickly and make the open shots count. This may be one of those nights where the Pistons have to work from the outside in, using the perimeter to pry open space for Cunningham and Duren.
John Collins and Javonte Green need to help stretch the defense by knocking down early looks and pulling one of Miami’s bigs away from the basket. Duncan Robinson also has a role here: keep the defense moving, keep Miami scrambling, and don’t let them settle into a comfortable shell around the paint.
Detroit’s need for a second creator has been a constant theme, but this is another path to easing the load on Cade. If the ball keeps finding open shooters, the offense can travel in a different direction this season.
The early evidence points that way. Detroit finished 29th in the league in 3-point attempts last season, then launched 40 in its first game and hit 38 percent of them. That doesn’t mean 40 shots from deep should become the norm, but a climb into the mid-30s would be enough to make opponents defend the perimeter honestly, especially if the Pistons keep shooting at that level.
Last season, teams with two strong rim protectors had too many clean answers against Detroit. This year, the Pistons have more shooting on the floor, more balance in the offense, and a better chance to force defenses to worry about more than just the paint.
In Other News...
Pistons May Have A Smart Miami Counter Fans Need To Watch
The Pistons matchup with Miami brings an interesting layer of familiarity, because Duncan Robinson knows exactly how the Heat like to operate after spending much of his career there. Detroits plan is built around his movement without the ball, using that constant motion to create openings and force Miami to react instead of dictate. It is the kind of subtle tactical wrinkle that can matter in a game where both sides are looking for small advantages.
Miami, of course, will have its own ideas about how to handle Robinson, and the same goes for Detroit when it comes to protecting its own defensive soft spots. The back-and-forth could become a chess match of coverages and counters, with each team trying to steer attention away from the matchups it would rather not expose. If the Heat start tilting extra help toward Robinson, the Pistons will have a chance to make that decision costly. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Face An Early Frontcourt Test Against Miami
John Collins first night in a Pistons uniform offered an early reminder of why Detroit will have to be careful how it deploys him. Against Boston, he had a rough defensive debut, and the problems were there against a mix of perimeter skill and interior size, the kind of matchup that can expose a player caught between positions. For a team trying to sort out its frontcourt on the fly, that makes the next test feel especially relevant.
Miami brings a different kind of problem, and one that could force Detroit to think differently about its rotation and matchups. The Heat can lean on Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, and both present the sort of physical challenges that can drag a tweener out of his comfort zone. However the Pistons choose to handle it, this is the kind of early-season game that can reveal whether the coaching staff has a workable plan for Collins or whether more adjustments are still coming. [Read more 🡒]
Cade Cunningham Can Test A Heat Team Already Under Pressure
Miamis first loss of the season arrived against Minnesota, with Anthony Edwards doing plenty of damage and exposing a few early cracks in a team that had looked sharp out of the gate. Now the Heat have to turn around and deal with a Detroit group led by Cade Cunningham, which is a different kind of problem altogether. Cunningham has the size and patience to make defenders work for every stop, and he gives the Pistons a shot creator who can force Miami to stay disciplined for long stretches.
For a Heat team already under a little pressure, the next test is less about panic than response. The offense needs to settle in, the defense has to clean up what went wrong against the Timberwolves, and the margin for error is going to be small against a Pistons team that will happily make it a possession-by-possession game. It is still early, and there is plenty of season left to correct course, but Cunningham gives Detroit a real chance to ask uncomfortable questions right away. [Read more 🡒]