Detroit Pistons: This ugly trend showed up in the first preseason game

The Detroit Pistons were one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the 2020-21 season. The team ranked 22nd in both three-pointers made and three-point shooting percentage. The franchise only sank 35.1 percent of their shots from long range.

This offseason, Pistons GM Troy Weaver made an effort to improve the team’s three-point shooting. Free agents Kelly Olynyk and Trey Lyles were signed by Weaver with their floor spacing in mind. Cade Cunningham, Isaiah Livers and Luka Garza were drafted with the hope they could improve the team’s three-point shooting.

Weaver also re-signed Frank Jackson who was one of the top sharpshooters for Detroit last season. Hamidou Diallo was brought back after hitting a career-high 39 percent of his threes in 20 games with Detroit.

In their 115-105 victory against the Spurs last night, Detroit was without Cunningham, Livers and Jackson, but the young team still had an opportunity to show improvement from beyond the arc.

The Pistons started the game hot from long range. Saddiq Bey started the scoring with an early three-pointer. Sophomore center Isaiah Stewart would sink one of his two early attempts from long range. Neither shot looked particularly pretty but they were on target.

Jerami Grant would add two additional three-pointers and Rodney McGruder, Olynyk and Josh Jackson would each add one of their own. In all, Detroit sank seven of their first 10 three-pointers en route to 39 points in the first quarter. A strong start to preseason play that would falter in the second quarter.

Detroit Pistons: Ball movement is the key to 3-point shooting

Detroit followed up their 39 point explosion with a 15 point second quarter. The Pistons offense as a whole took a step back from their strong first quarter. Off-ball movement stalled and the ball stuck to the ball-handlers’ hands for too long. Detroit was simply stagnant in the second quarter.

As a result, Detroit’s three-point shooting was nonexistent in the second quarter. The team failed to sink a single shot from beyond the arc in quarter number two.

The third quarter was all Lyles from deep. The newly signed Piston sank both of his three-pointers in the third quarter. He was also the only Piston to make a three-pointer in the third.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Detroit Pistons saw a resurgence of what gave them such an explosive first quarter. The team started moving off-ball again. They were fast in transition offense. Diallo, Josh Jackson, and Cory Joseph were aggressive attacking the basket which opened up open opportunities from beyond the arc.

Closing out the game, the Pistons went cold from deep and missed their final four three-pointers. The team closed out the quarter shooting three for nine from deep.

On the whole, Detroit shot 12 for 34 from beyond the arc against the Spurs. After the first quarter, the team shot just 20.8 percent on three-pointers, a severe regression from their hot start.

While Detroit disappointed from beyond the arc after the first quarter, it was just a single preseason game, one where Detroit was without three good long-range shooters. But early signs point to some continued struggles from three this season, and an underlying issue with the offense as a whole.

Detroit’s three-point shooting struggled most when the offense was stagnant. The team settled for shots on multiple occasions because not enough players were engaged with the offense. Their three-point shooting was at its best when the team was aggressive on offense and moving the ball around.

The Pistons cannot afford to fall into long-term offensive stagnation during the regular season. Detroit does not have an elite isolation player who can help them overcome a stagnant offense, and even if they did this would still be a detriment to the team.

With the return of Cunningham and Killian Hayes to the lineup in the next few games, Detroit will need to focus on ball movement and offensive engagement. If the team is able to keep their offense in motion, their three-point shooting should see improvement as a result.

If this stagnant offense is an issue that ends up plaguing Detroit all year, they could be in for a long season.