This Pistons Situation Is Perfect

This Pistons Situation Is Perfect

The Pistons had themselves a big summer, making a few moves to address their biggest weaknesses, add even more depth, and build on an already bright future. But what can we expect from them in 2026? And are they good enough to compete in the East? It’s safe to say that Detroit basketball made a return last season. I don’t just mean that they won 44 games for the first time in 10 years with an above average offense and defense. I mean the style of play and tenacity that’s synonymous with the Pistons, particularly on defense. Jaylen Duran took a serious step forward as a pick and roll defender and rim protector. And when he went to the bench in came Isaiah Stewart, who’s simply one of the best paint defenders in the league. On the perimeter, they had arguably the game’s best point of attack defender in Assar Thompson primary creators. But they also had options. For bigger forwards, they could go to Cade. For athletic wings, they could go to Ron Holland. For smaller guards, they could go to Dennis Shruder. They had the personnel to go to tons of different looks. Everyone was bought in, and they could hold up against most offenses. As for their own offense, they used those stops and the athleticism of their wings to their advantage by playing in transition as much as possible. Then in the half court, it was a heavy dose of twoman game. They ran lots of spread pick and roll with Kade at the helm, who made the AllNBA third team after quite the impressive offensive season. The lack of shooting in the front court was a bit of a problem at times, but they always had a highle shooter by Kade’s side on the wing. Whether that was Malik Beasley or Tim Hardaway Jr., Those guys also got their reps as dribble handoffs and offball screens were their best form of non-Cade offense. With that said though, the lack of ball handling or on ball shot creation outside of Cade was a pretty notable weakness, especially after Jaden Ivy went down with a season ending injury, and that ended up being their biggest issue against the Knicks in the first round. I think it got somewhat overlooked just how close of a series that was. Five out of six of those games were decided by single digits. Four of them were decided by one shot, and they simply got outplayed by New York down the stretch. In each of those games, it was the same offensive weaknesses that consistently showed up. The lack of three-point shooting was a bit of a problem, especially after both Beasley and Hardway went cold. Also, the over reliance on Cade led to lots of turnovers as ball security is probably his biggest weakness right now. While on the other hand, Brunson’s got all-time great ball security and difficult shotmaking, so he consistently delivered in those late game situations. Of the four games that were decided by one shot, the Knicks won three of them. And that right there pretty much determined the series. Not to take away from the Pistons, though, because you could see the makings of a great basketball team. Between Cad’s emergence, the raw young talent, and a strong defense, some simple fine-tuning really could get them to that next level, and they made sure to do exactly that over the summer. Their first move was to send Simone Fonteio to the Heat for Duncan Robinson. Like I said, dribble handoffs and offball screens were Detroit’s best form of non-cade offense. Duncan’s made $75 million specifically because of what he can do out of those actions. Of course, it starts with his ability to shoot on the move, where he’s just flat out one of the best in the league. Over the years, he’s added more to his game, though, like the ability to put the ball down, get inside the arc, and score in the paint, or more importantly, his quick decision-making and passing on the move, which allows him to capitalize on the threat his shooting creates. His ability to both pressure defenses and take advantage was a big part of Miami’s offense for more than half a decade, and it played a particularly big role in helping unlock BAM. I think it could do the same for Duran, who’s got all of the tools to be one of the games best pick and roll bigs. Not only can you run possessions through Duncan, he’s also just going to provide some muchneeded floor spacing. They lost Tim Hardaway Jr. over the offseason, and I don’t think a soul on the planet knows what’s going on with Malik Beasley. So, in addition to getting a little bit more versatile and adding some movement to the offense, Duncan also steps right into a role that they had already established last season. Another role they had to fill over the summer was that of a league creator with the bench unit because last year that was Dennis Shruder’s job and he was traded as well. On the very same day, they brought in Caris Levert and guess what he does best. Before we get into that, I want to give a huge shout out to Factor for sponsoring this video because this 31day series wouldn’t be possible without them. Between the time it takes to research each team and produce these videos while balancing my personal life, I just don’t have time to cook for myself. With Factor, in just a matter of two minutes, I can get a fully prepared meal on the table without worrying about preparation, cooking, or cleaning up. Just simply unbox, heat it up, and enjoy. The meals are fresh, never frozen, and there’s a ton of variety. Recently, they’ve doubled the size of their menu to 80 plus rotating weekly meals. So whether you’re craving a steak, a chicken breast, a calorie smart, or vegan option, Factor’s got you covered. For me personally, it’s bulk season, so I’ve been loving their protein plus options. And eating clean has never been easier for me since signing up for Factor, which is why I’m super excited to bring you guys a special offer. Head to factor75.com or click the link below and use code hoop venuef50 to get 50% off plus free breakfast for a year. You heard that right. That’s code hoop venue fb50 at factor75.com to get 50% off plus free breakfast for a year. Carol Levert’s a very skilled ball handler who can hit the pull-up three, get to the rim, and pressure defenses from multiple levels. More importantly, though, he’s an incredible passer, and that means he can legitimately run an offense for extended stints. That’s how he almost single-handedly saved the Hawks season. Before Levert got to Atlanta, their offense would absolutely collapse anytime Trey went to the bench, dropping 10 points. With Levert running the show, they were a really good offense to finish out the season. And they were even better with both of them on the court together, posting elite offensive efficiency. That’s pretty similar to what we saw from Kate and Shooter. With Kate as the lone star, they were productive. With Dennis leading the show, they were still slightly above average. And with both on the court, the offense completely ballooned because he finally had that second creator. The difference to me is that Levert’s a better shooter. He’s better at getting to the rim and he takes better care of the ball, which sounds like exactly what you’d want next to Cade. If it isn’t Levert, though, remember they’ve also got Jaden Ivy coming back from injury, who really started to come into his own last year. The selling point with Ivy is his slashing. When you put him next to a guy like Cade or Levert who’s going to create advantages to attack, he’s going to put a ton of pressure on the rim and the free throw line. He’s still raw in a few key areas like his in between scoring or the fact that he turns the ball over at a ridiculously high rate. But there’s always value in having another guy who can break down the defense and get two feet in the paint. And I do wonder how different that Nick series looks with him there. The super interesting thing with Ivy, though, is the three-point shot. Over his first two seasons, he was a 34% guy, but in 30 games last year, he was up at 41%. And my question is, how much of that, if any, is a legitimate improvement, or if it’s just hot shooting in a small sample? Because if Ivy’s even just a 37 or 38% guy from three with the slashing and some potential growth as a playmaker, now you’re left with another guy who can lead the bench unit, play off of Cade, and pressure defenses from multiple levels. Internal development is going to be everything for this Pistons team. I’m confident we haven’t seen anywhere near the best of Assar Thompson offensively. We’ve seen the athletic play finishing, but he’s had flashes of legitimate point guard skills that could really diversify the offense. I’m even more intrigued by Ron Holland. He’s a ridiculous athlete on the wing who’s shown the ability to get by defenders, play through contact, and even use the short mid-range a little bit. Of course, the downside with both Assar and Holland is that neither have shown the ability to make an open three whatsoever. And I do think one issue with this Pistons roster is the lack of different lineups they’ll be able to go to that result in a functional offense because they’ve absolutely got the personnel to field out elite offensive lineups. Think about a fiveman group of Cade, Levert, Duncan, Harris, and Duran. That’s great. The difficulty is that you’re going to want to get your best defensive guys on the court as well, like Assar, Holland, and Stu, especially considering that’s Detroit’s identity. Defensively, I don’t have a single question with this roster. Assar might actually be the best defensive wing in the NBA. And depending on who he’s sharing the court with, he can play literally any role. He can be your fullcourt pressure point of attack guy. He can be your offball chaser against movement shooters. He can be your free safety and last line of defense at the rim. He can defend most positions, forces a ton of turnovers, and really the only weakness he needs to clean up is that he fouls a lot. Holland has a lot of that, too. It’s rare for a rookie wing to be impactful defensively, especially one who was 19 for the entire season. but he’s already shown that through his unique physical traits, high motor, and ability to make plays that he’ll be a very good defensive player. I’d also like to mention that they brought in Javvante Green over the summer, and I’m not sure how many minutes he’ll be playing, but he certainly fits the team identity they’re building. Between Duran, Stu, and Paul Reed, they’re going to have 48 minutes of strong defense from the five around those guys. They can deploy pretty much any defensive scheme you can think of because not only do they not have many weak links, they have rim protectors at every position. Cade’s one of the few lead guards who can legitimately make a difference in the paint. And he’s got the size and strength to defend multiple positions. Levert, Ivy, and Marcus Sasser all have key defensive skills, and more importantly, all have insane length for their respective positions. So, the lineups feel a lot bigger than they actually are. But, they’ve got the bodies to go big if they need to with a guy like Tobias Harris offering a bit of flexibility in the front court. From the perspective of playable NBA depth, their defense is absolutely stacked. Duncan Robinson’s the only weak link, and not only will he be covered by tons of size, length, and athleticism, it’s also just a price to pay for how much he’ll open up the offense. They can go a ton of different directions with the starting lineup, but I think this one right here gives them the best balance between shot creation, spacing, and defensive versatility. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ivy or Duncan get the start at the two for what they offer. And I wouldn’t be surprised if Ron Holland’s a bigger part of the rotation. Point being, they’ve got lots of playable NBA players on both sides of the ball. Of course, the challenge is translating it all to one lineup. While they have tons of offensive talent and tons of defensive talent, it does feel like with their current roster construction, they’re going to have to sacrifice one or the other in each lineup. In order to get their best defenders on the floor, they’re losing a lot of space. And in order to get their best offensive players on the floor, they lose some of their identity. Also, I still expect turnovers to be a bit of a problem. As long as Kade and Ivy are getting lots of touches, unless they’re able to dial back the errors, I think they’ll lean into the defense, which should easily be top 10 while still having enough offensive punch to be above average. Honestly, I think they’re a threat to win 50 games, but I’m expecting some experimentation with lineups and some prioritizing of development. So, I’ll keep them in the mid to high 40s. Come playoff time. I think they could find themselves in another tricky first round matchup if they slide to a five or six seed. But, I could just as easily see a conference finals push. While I’m not sure they have what it takes to break through just yet, they’re extremely close and more importantly, they’re extremely young. Kade just turned 24 and still has lots of room for growth. It wouldn’t surprise me if he entered the season on another level and pushed this team’s offensive ceiling. Ron Holland is 20, Duran is 21, Assar is 22, and Ivy is 23. They’ve done basically everything to near perfection when it comes to building this roster out, balancing youth with the right mix of veterans and building a legitimate identity to both set themselves up for the future and compete now. So, it’s safe to say that Detroit basketball is back and the sky’s is the limit for this era of the Pistons. [Music]

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The Detroit Pistons made some moves over the offseason to address their biggest weaknesses, add more depth, and build on an already bright future. But do they have enough to compete in the East?

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