The Detroit Pistons don’t need a scouting report to tell them what the New York Knicks are built on. They need versatility, and they need it in a hurry.
That’s the lesson Cameron Boozer took from New York’s title run, and it’s the kind of point Detroit has to keep in mind if it’s going to catch the defending NBA champions on the road to the 2027 NBA Finals. Boozer’s specific target wasn’t the Pistons, but his read on the Knicks gets right to the heart of the gap between the two teams.
“Versatility is the name of the game. That’s what teams are looking for,” Boozer told The Athletic.
“Teams want five guys who can make plays. Look at the Knicks this year.
Everyone on that team was capable of doing more than one thing. Everyone was capable of playing on or off the basketball.”
That’s the standard New York set. Its offense flowed through All-NBA players Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, but the Knicks were never limited to just those two.
During the playoffs, Towns was used more as a high-post passer, OG Anunoby was leaned on for isolation scoring, and Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart were given room to create for themselves and for others. Even the bench pieces mattered, with Jordan Clarkson, Miles McBride, and Landry Shamet all helping keep the attack moving.
The result was an offense that didn’t need the same hero every night. Someone else could step in, make a play, and still give New York enough value away from the ball that defenses couldn’t simply load up and ignore them.
Detroit, by contrast, spent much of 2025-26 leaning heavily on Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren. The Pistons’ offense ran through their All-NBA pieces in a way that left Cunningham carrying an especially heavy load. No Piston other than Cunningham at 9.9 averaged more than 3.9 assists per game, which left Detroit with a system that asked too much of one player.
The Pistons have started to address that. John Collins arrived to add scoring and floor spacing in the frontcourt, while Isaiah Joe and Taurean Prince brought more shooting. Detroit also drafted downhill scoring guard Ebuka Okorie, and second-year guard Chaz Lanier made a major leap at summer league.
Detroit doesn’t have to copy New York possession for possession. But Boozer’s point is hard to miss: if the Pistons want to close the gap, they need more players who can do more than one thing, whether the ball is in their hands or not.
In Other News...
Pistons May Lose A Real Cade Backcourt Target Over Outside Drama
Bennedict Mathurin has been one of the more interesting names on the Pistons radar as Detroit keeps looking for another perimeter scorer who can ease some of the burden on Cade Cunningham. The appeal is obvious enough: Mathurin brings shot creation and isolation scoring, the kind of offensive juice that can make a backcourt look a lot less predictable, and Detroit has at least explored the possibility of getting him through a sign-and-trade.
The problem is that the market around him is not moving cleanly. The Clippers have interest in keeping the restricted free agent, but their offseason plans are tied up by the unresolved investigation involving Kawhi Leonard and Aspiration, which has slowed down a broader chain of roster decisions. For Detroit, that means a target that fits a clear need could end up stuck in limbo, with the Pistons waiting to see whether the situation finally opens up or closes off entirely. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Offseason Left Cade Facing The Same Frustrating Questions
The Pistons spent the offseason reshaping the edges of the roster, bringing in John Collins, Isaiah Joe, Taurean Prince, Gary Harris and Kevin Huerter in hopes of giving the lineup more spacing and a little more depth. Even with those additions, the bigger question around Cade Cunningham has not changed much, because Detroit still has not really given him the kind of second scorer or steady ball-handling partner that can lighten the load when defenses key on him.
Daniss Jenkins and Paul Reed both stand to benefit from the new look, with Jenkins suddenly in position to compete for backup point guard minutes and Reed climbing the depth chart after Isaiah Stewart was moved out. But the most important unresolved piece remains the one that could shape how the roster functions once the season starts, especially if Detroit is forced to lean on younger, less proven options around its franchise guard. [Read more 🡒]
Marcus Sasser Suddenly Has A Chance To Haunt The Pistons
Marcus Sassers move from Detroit to Dallas this summer looked like a simple roster shuffle at first, but it may end up being one of those deals the Pistons have to watch from afar. He never got much runway in Detroit, where his role stayed limited, even though he showed enough shot-making to hint at a bigger job. Now he lands with a Mavericks team that just moved Ryan Nembhard, and that could open a clear path for Sasser to compete for the backup point guard spot.
For Dallas, the timing matters because this is the final year of Sassers rookie contract, so every opportunity carries a little more weight. For the Pistons, the sting is obvious: they may have sent out one of their better creators without ever really finding out how much he could handle. If Sasser turns those minutes into a real rotation role, Detroit will be left wondering whether it let a useful guard slip away too soon. [Read more 🡒]