The Detroit Pistons have shifted course since hiring Trajan Langdon as the president of basketball operations.
Former head coach Monty Williams is out, as many hoped. In are head coach J.B. Bickerstaff —who coached the Cleveland Cavaliers for the last four-plus seasons —and shooting coach Fred Vinson. Gone are the days when the Pistons were content with letting their shiny new toys crash into each other. Now Detroit is trying to add complementary veterans that add a necessary element to the offense: 3-point shooting.
With all of these changes, it seems like Detroit could also pivot away from some of their development projects. New regimes are always thought to be open to moving players acquired before they got there anyways. For example, after former Brooklyn Nets assistant general manager Jeff Peterson was named the Charlotte Hornets’ executive vice president this offseason, he many wondered if he would trade 2020 No. 3 pick LaMelo Ball. This despite Ball being among the best players in the NBA when healthy.
It’s Too Soon For Pistons To Pivot Away From Plan A
In the Pistons’ case, 2022 No. 5 pick Jaden Ivey, 2022 No. 13 pick Jalen Duren, and 2023 No. 5 pick Ausar Thompson are the holdovers who could be moved. They all have the potential to make a high impact in the NBA. However, their skillsets don’t mesh well with one another and therein lies the problem.
Face of the franchise Cade Cunningham, selected first overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, is guaranteed to start. A do-it-all point guard, Cunningham is built in the mode of Oklahoma City Thunder MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Both can take games over with their scoring ability and are reliable playmakers. Yet, neither are particularly trustworthy from beyond the arc. Furthermore, both prefer to get downhill using their size and craftiness.
Needing space to operate, the best option is to surround Cunningham with efficient outside shooters. Yet, when the 2024 NBA Draft rolled around, Langdon and Co. took G League Ignite forward Ron Holland fifth overall. A high-motor athlete with plenty of offensive upside and a terrific defensive baseline, he’s another player who is a great pick in a vacuum.
The concern is that, though averaging 20.6 points per game, Holland made 24.0 percent of his 3s while with the Ignite.
He followed that up by shooting 23.5 percent in Summer League while averaging 18.8 points per game. Holland doesn’t have to be a stretch-forward to thrive next to Cunningham. Nonetheless, his addition is questionable because the Pistons now have five young core players who haven’t been to really find their rhythm from 3.
Since Holland was drafted by this new regime, he’s most likely safe for now. As previously noted, Cunningham is the team’s cornerstone player. The Pistons even offered him a $224 million max rookie contract extension this offseason.
The Other Guys
Patience is a virtue and it could pay off for Detroit. In theory, they only need three-fifths of their starters to be efficient from long-range. Considering the NBA’s average 3-point percentage the last two seasons, that means shooting at least 36 percent. As of this writing, nobody in the Lotto 5 has been able to do that.
Cunningham has come the closest, converting 35.5 percent of his 3s last season. He also made 37.1 percent of his catch-and-shoot attempts. Ivey actually started off 2023-24 well, shooting 36.1 percent from 3 before the All-Star Break, but he faltered. By the end of the season, he made just 33.6 percent of his 3s. However, he did make 35.5 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3s.
So, say Cunningham and Ivey are two of those three starters they need to be threats from 3-point range. Who else can make the cut? Thompson? Perhaps even Duren?
The Jury Is Still Out
For all of Thompson’s confidence, he may have the longest path to becoming a great outside shooter. His touch is off, perhaps a byproduct of his stiff and mechanical form. He needs to add upper body strength to improve his range.
The numbers reflect his struggles, as he made just 18.6 percent of his 3s last season. This includes him shooting 19.0 percent on catch-and-shoot 3s and 23.1 percent from the corner. Thompson did show improvement as the season wore on though, making 29.2 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3s after the All-Star Break and 31.3 percent of those attempts in March.
Untapped Potential
Then there’s Duren. The Memphis product has only attempted seven 3-pointers from college to the pros, missing them all. However, because he’s a center, being able to shoot from the midrange could still help a team’s spacing. His man might not be 24 feet away from the rim, but 16-18 feet is still a lot of ground to cover.
That being said, Duren shot 3-11 from 15-19 feet last season. He’s went 17-46 from 10-14 feet over his NBA career. Though his touch needs to improve, there’s potential for him to be some type of floor-spacer.
3s Help, But It’s About More Than That
Frankly, Thompson and Duren have a high hurdle to leap. Nonetheless, it’s inaccurate to say they have no chance of meshing with the rest of the team’s lottery picks.
Here’s a look at Cade’s net rating in each scenario:
Cade with Ausar and Duren ON: -1.72
Cade with Ausar ON and Duren OFF: -10.42
Cade with Duren ON and Ausar OFF: -7.61
Cade with Duren and Ausar OFF: -13.5Continues to prove my point of just how impactful Ausar Thompson…
— Ku (@KuKhahil) August 28, 2024
That’s to the Pistons’ benefit as well, as the numbers suggest that Cunningham is actually better when he’s sharing the court with them.
The fact that Thompson is a superb defender and rebounder with connective playmaking only adds to why the Pistons should want to keep him on the court.
Duren needs to stay in the film room and improve his defensive awareness and contest more shots. Yet, he’s a rare athlete who can guard in space and has a nose for rebounding.
Ivey needs to get on the same page with Cunningham so far as building their chemistry. However, he’s flashed at both ends of the court. Last season, he tallied 20 or more points in 17 games, five or more assists in 25 games, at least one steal in 40 games.
Throw in Holland’s tenacious defense, rebounding, and attacking mentality and there’s a lot to like about the Pistons young core. If he can rapidly develop his 3-ball, and he does look like he can have a workable jumper, he’ll accelerate their timeline.
The Last Word On The Pistons
Adding veteran shooters like Tobias Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Malik Beasley helps the Pistons play sound basketball. It also smoothens their young player’s development by not forcing them into roles they’re not ready for. However, all things considered, the Pistons’ Plan A should still be starting their five most recent lottery picks.
Maybe not immediately. Perhaps not even this season. But as soon as possible.
