The Pistons had enough going for them against the Lakers to make the loss sting even more. They controlled plenty of the numbers, but the one area that mattered most kept sinking them: the free-throw line.
Detroit went just 13-for-20 at the stripe in a five-point game, leaving seven points behind in a contest that stayed close. Los Angeles, meanwhile, got to the line 33 times to Detroit’s 20, and that gap ended up being a major part of the difference. Even with that disadvantage, the Pistons still had a path to winning if they had cashed in on the chances they did get.
That’s been a familiar problem. Detroit has long struggled to shoot free throws well, but this season the issue has gone beyond just missing them. The Pistons are also getting to the line far less often.
Last year, Detroit was one of the league’s most aggressive paint teams, which helped drive a heavy free-throw volume. This season, the offense has shifted toward more 3-point shooting, and the result has been a steep drop in trips to the stripe.
The Pistons were fourth in free-throw attempts per game a year ago. Now they’ve fallen to 23rd, taking more than three fewer per game than they did last season.
The accuracy hasn’t helped. Detroit is shooting 74 percent as a team, which ranks 24th in the NBA and is right about where the club sat last season. The Pistons are also 26th in free throws made per game after finishing sixth in that category last year.
Part of the decline in attempts comes from Jalen Duren’s absence. He shot more than six free throws per game last season and converted them at a solid rate for a center, so getting him back should help push Detroit closer to the line again.
But the Pistons still have to make the shots when they get there, and that has been a problem with this group. Ausar Thompson has improved to 67 percent this season, which is still rough, but not even the worst mark on the roster.
That distinction belongs to John Collins, who is shooting just 55 percent. Collins has been a 79 percent free-throw shooter for his career, so that number should eventually move back toward normal. The bigger issue right now is that he’s only getting one attempt per game, the lowest rate of his career.
Kevin Huerter has also struggled at 57 percent, while Paul Reed is at 64 percent. Reed’s number stands out because he’s nearly matching it from 3-point range, where he’s shooting 62.5 percent. Huerter, meanwhile, is hitting 40 percent from deep.
Even with Duncan Robinson taking the most free throws of his career, Detroit is still lagging in both attempts and makes. Against a Lakers team without Luka, that proved costly in a game the Pistons could have taken. The return of Duren should help, and some of the current numbers should normalize, but the free-throw line remains a problem worth watching when the games tighten up.
In Other News...
Jalen Duren Update Gives Pistons Hope With One Big Catch
Jalen Duren is finally back on the court in some capacity, which is a welcome development for a Pistons team that has been waiting on its young center since he strained his right hamstring in the Oct. 23 game. Detroit says Duren has moved into on-court activities as part of his rehab, and the early signs are encouraging enough to include dribbling and shooting work as he builds back toward full basketball activity.
The catch, of course, is that this is still only a step in the process, not a return date. The Pistons have already said they will give another update in two weeks, leaving the next checkpoint as the one that matters most for a team that could use Durens size, energy and interior presence back in the rotation as soon as it is safely possible. [Read more 🡒]
Ausar Thompson Is Giving The Pistons A Tough Rotation Decision
Ausar Thompsons work on the glass has become one of the more intriguing developments in Detroits rotation as the Pistons continue to sort out how they want to play. Against the 76ers, he grabbed 17 rebounds and helped keep the team competitive on the boards even with Jalen Duren out, a reminder that Thompsons athleticism is showing up in ways that matter beyond the box score.
The bigger question for the Pistons is how that skill fits once the roster is whole again. Thompson is averaging a career-high 8.6 rebounds per game, and his presence is giving Detroit a real argument for using more smaller lineups without giving up too much interior toughness. With the team trying to balance added shooting and better spacing against the need to hold up inside, Thompsons rise has made the rotation picture a little more complicated than it looked a few weeks ago. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Waste A Winnable Night Against A Luka-Less Lakers Team
The Pistons had a chance to bank a useful home win against a Lakers team missing Luka Doncic, and for stretches they looked capable of taking it. Daniss Jenkins and Kevin Huerter gave Detroit a lift off the bench, but the night never fully turned in the Pistons favor as the starting group had trouble finding a rhythm on offense.
Austin Reaves made sure Los Angeles did not waste the opening, pouring in 43 points to carry the Lakers to a 121-116 win. For Detroit, the frustration is less about one bad quarter than the broader pattern of letting a winnable game slip away when the matchup seemed there to be seized. [Read more 🡒]