3 on 3: Detroit Pistons line-up questions

3. How can the Detroit Pistons improve as a team?

Sham

As a relatively young team enjoying early season success, the most important improvement point is consistency. The Pistons have looked brilliant against some opponents – Warriors, Clippers, Timberwolves, but have looked extremely flat against others – Cavaliers and the 2nd half against the Pacers. The reliance on veterans added this offseason should help guide the team going forward and place an emphasis on winning consistently.

Brew

It’s crazy to think that this team can still improve after a 10-3 start, but it’s true that they can. For one, I think the rotations will start to become more finalized, and that will only bring improvement for a team that is incorporating an entirely new offensive scheme.

​The biggest way I think they can improve, though, is this: shoot more th​r​ees. They have been shooting the ball lights out so far this year, but I still see some hesitation on the perimeter, and plenty of missed passes for would-be triples. Tobias Harris and Luke Kennard still head fake into a dribble drive too often when they are open for a three, although they shoot more each time out. You’d like to see every player on this team shoot the ball with zero hesitation the second they are open. I know Stan Van Gundy has harped on this plenty, so I think we will see this facet of the offense continue to grow each week.​

Tom

The thing that’s stood out most to me over the past week or so of games is the raw amount of turnovers we’ve had, many unforced. In our loss to the bucks we had 16, and in the loss to the Cavaliers we had 14. Add another 20 in our close win in Oklahoma. That’s too many. A solid chunk of these lie with Andre Drummond, who’s still adjusting to his new distributing role in the offense. The others can mostly be attributed to lazy and errant passes. As Drummond settles more into his role, his turnovers should drop. However, the other players, such as Avery Bradley, have to lock in passing wise. I think Bradley is still probably learning how to handle the new responsibilities he’s been given, but it’s something to be concerned about for now.