The Pistons didn’t have much choice, and that’s exactly why Paul Reed matters right now.
With Jalen Duren sidelined by a strained hamstring for a couple of weeks, Detroit’s center rotation suddenly looks awfully thin. Isaiah Stewart was traded this summer, so Reed was already positioned to absorb backup minutes. Now he’s being asked to do much more than that, and the early signs point in the right direction.
On Wednesday night, after dropping a game to the New York Knicks, the Pistons responded with a comeback win over the Charlotte Hornets. A lot of that rally came in the second half, and Reed was right in the middle of it. He looked strong, logged a huge workload, and gave Detroit exactly the kind of stability it needs while Duren is out.
That’s not a small development for a player who already flashed in the playoffs last year. Reed was something of a surprise then, and there were moments when JB Bickerstaff stuck with Reed over Duren, who was struggling.
Now the role is officially his. Reed is the Pistons’ full-time backup center, but the absence of Duren pushes him into a larger job and leaves Detroit without much size behind him. John Collins, who started at the four, and Tolu Smith, who played 40 seconds, were the only other big-man options to get on the floor.
Reed answered with a heavy night: 38:08 on the court, second only to Cade Cunningham’s 38:34. Only three Pistons played more than 30 minutes, with Duncan Robinson being the third. Reed made the most of it, finishing with 16 points, four rebounds, three steals and one block while shooting 5-of-7 from the field and 2-of-2 from three.
It’s clear Bickerstaff and the Pistons trust him. They’re comfortable giving him minutes, and they’re comfortable leaving him out there when the game gets tight.
And for now, that bet is starting to look like a smart one.
In Other News...
John Collins Is Becoming A Real Pistons Problem At Home
John Collins has quietly become one of the more intriguing variables in the Pistons rotation, and the split is hard to ignore. On the road, he has been a steadier source of points, rebounds and efficient shooting, which is exactly the kind of help Detroit needs from a frontcourt player asked to stretch the floor and clean up the glass while Jalen Duren is out. At home, though, the production has dipped enough to stand out, with his scoring and shooting sliding and the three-point volume thinning out.
For a team leaning on Collins to do some of the dirty work and some of the spacing, that home-versus-road gap matters. The Pistons still need him to be part of the answer inside their own building, but the upcoming road slate at least gives him a chance to get back into a rhythm where he has looked more like the version Detroit has been hoping for. [Read more 🡒]
Daniss Jenkins Is Giving The Pistons A Lineup Decision They Can't Ignore
Daniss Jenkins has turned a short-term opportunity into a real conversation for the Pistons. With Cade Cunningham carrying plenty of the creation load, Jenkins has helped ease some of that pressure by bringing scoring and playmaking in recent games, including a string of double-digit outings and a useful role in Detroits win over the Charlotte Hornets.
Now the question is whether the production is stable enough to force a bigger lineup change. Jenkins is at least being considered for a starting role, but that kind of move would ask for more consistent shooting efficiency and could mean reshuffling the rotation in a way that affects either John Collins or Duncan Robinson. For a team still searching for the cleanest way to balance its offense, that is not a small decision. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Fast Start Is Putting One Young Piece Under Pressure
A 4-1 start has given Detroit an early grip on the Eastern Conference, and the balance of contributions has already started to reshape the conversation around the rotation. Duncan Robinson, Daniss Jenkins and Paul Reed have all helped fuel the fast beginning, while the Pistons have looked deep enough that every night seems to bring a different supporting piece into focus.
Ron Holland II has been the one young player whose opening stretch has lagged behind the pace of the team around him, and that naturally brings a little more attention to his standing as the season develops. In a year when Detroit suddenly looks ready to chase something bigger, his slow start has already prompted questions about how long the organization wants to wait before deciding what role he fits, or whether that role even holds beyond the deadline. [Read more 🡒]