Detroit Pistons continue to live, die by three-point shot

The Detroit Pistons lost their sixth game of the season last night to the Charlotte Hornets. Last night shows this team is living and dying by the deep ball.

The Detroit Pistons are 9th in the NBA in three-point attempts. Head coach Dwane Casey said before the season he wanted his team taking more shots from outside.

They’re taking more three’s than last season. However, that doesn’t always mean your team will be successful as a result.

The Pistons are just 29th in the league in three-point percentage. A lot of games they’re playing in are close. Ten of their 12 games this season have been decided by ten points or less.

In their losses, the Pistons are shooting just 24.8 percent from three-point range.

If they’re going to be taking three-point shots at such a high rate, they need to start making more of them. Why are they so inconsistent from outside?

Being logical, there’s two questions to ask based on this. Who’s taking three-point shots? Are these good shot selections?

Reggie Jackson leads the team with nearly seven three-point attempts per game. Unfortunately, he’s shooting under 31 percent from out there.

Stanley Johnson is taking almost five a game. Why? I have no idea. He’s shooting less than 30 percent from three-point range.

Right now, Blake Griffin is there best three-point shooter. Yes, that’s right.

Who would have thought Griffin would be their best three-point shooter through their first 12 games of the season. I don’t think anyone would’ve guessed.

Right now, a lot of guys are struggling to shoot the ball from out there. Glenn Robinson is a perfect example of that. He’s shooting just 30 percent from outside.

His career statistics indicate that will change. He’s shot 40 percent from the three-point line over his last two seasons. He’s improved from out there in each year of his career.

This is an indication of one thing: The Detroit Pistons are not taking great shots from outside.

I don’t think you can point to one specific game on where they are taking bad shots. A lot of times it’s early in the shot clock. Sometimes its when they’re running out of time. And, as I pointed out already, it’s the wrong guys taking shots.

Why isn’t Reggie Bullock leading this team in three-point attempts? He shot 44 percent from outside and was second in the league in three-point shooting last season.

I think part of the current problem is having less structure on offense. Some of the players were thrilled to be playing under Casey for that reason.

Playing more freely means that guys on the floor need to be smarter about what is going on. This is a problem that can be solved for the Detroit Pistons.

Taking more three-point shots has continued to trend across the league. However, I think the Pistons can be successful in other areas.

Why aren’t they running more pick and roll with Andre Drummond and Griffin? Jackson and Ish Smith are both great ball handlers that can get to the paint with ease at times.

Johnson has also proved that he’s effective when getting to the paint. Seeking other offensive opportunities should help the Detroit Pistons find more success on that end of the court.