ORLANDO — The Detroit Pistons are one game away from getting eliminated in their first-round series against the Orlando Magic after a devastating 94-88 loss on Monday night. Coming into this postseason as the first seed, no one expected Detroit to be exactly where it was last season at this point, down 3-1 in its first-round series. But here we are. Here are 3 key takeaways from the Pistons’ game 4 performance.
Down 3-1, How Did Pistons Get Here? Key Takeaways From Game 4
Cade Cunningham’s Outta Control
It’s not news that the Pistons are the most heliocentric team in the entire playoffs. No other team has more responsibility on one pair of shoulders. Cade Cunningham is finding ways to put up stats in the series, averaging 29.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 7.5 assists. However, he’s putting up a huge volume of shots (23.0) to get there. As a result, he’s shooting 42% from the field and sub-30 from behind the arc. He’s made just 10 threes in this series despite attempting 35. The primary problem comes from how many pull-up threes he attempts. He’s 6-of-24 on those shots in this series. He just doesn’t have the legs from 3 and hasn’t ever since he got back from the collapsed lung. He’s shooting 10-of-18 on midrange pull-ups, maybe it’s time for him to look more in that direction?
Another problem is his turnovers. He’s averaging 6.8 a game! Two things can be true. The Pistons don’t have enough spacing around Cade because both Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson are non-threats from outside. True. The team doesn’t have a reliable second option. Also true. But it’s impossible to win when your best player averages 7 turnovers and can’t shoot.
Jalen Duren Needs More Time
Duren continues to struggle massively in this series. After a dominant regular season that saw him finish on the podium for the Most Improved Player Award, Duren has looked like a shadow of himself in this series. He’s averaging 9.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks. These are not the stats that the No. 2 option on a team should be putting up.
He’s struggled against the physicality of Wendell Carter Jr. The 6-foot-10 Carter has constantly outhustled, outworked, and outdone Duren. It’s not always reflected in his raw line (Carter had 12 points and 11 rebounds in Game 4), but his effort has put a spotlight on Duren as he enters free agency this summer. The team needs to get a true second option as Duren continues his development. Despite his grown-man frame, Duren is still just 22 years old.
JB Bickerstaff Has To Find Better Ways To Set Up His Stars
I would be remiss if I did not mention Tobias Harris’ 20-point effort. He’s doing his best to provide spacing, but he’s scored just three 3-pointers this postseason. Extra defenders can help off Duren or Thompson to make his shots extra contested. As stated earlier, Cade is too comfortable attempting pull-up threes. That can’t continue. The coaching staff has to make adjustments after the Pistons’ Game 4 performance. Coach JB Bickerstaff has to do a better job putting his stars in a position to succeed, and even he acknowledged the burden on his lead guard: “Yeah, I mean, they’re sending a lot of bodies to him, and we’ve got to help him by giving him more space so that he has room to operate. Set screens for him, be a little more physical, get guys off of him. But, again, we’ve got to do a better job of taking care of it.” He lost his job on the Cavs because he couldn’t take them to the promised land. A first-round exit will trigger those type of discussions in Detroit.
It is time to use Thompson in a more on-ball role so that he can use his athleticism on drives to keep his defenders honest. It also puts Cade in the position to take more catch-and-shoot threes, as well as reduce the mileage on him from double and triple teams. The team went out at the trade deadline to add Kevin Huerter. So far, he’s taken only five threes, of which he’s made two. The team needs his spacing desperately. Duncan Robinson also needs to be involved more in guard screens for Thompson. He’s been the team’s best shooter by far.
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