The Detroit Pistons were one of the worst offensive teams in the NBA this season no matter how you measure it.
They were at or near the bottom of the league in nearly every offensive category and clearly adding more shooting and offensive firepower has to be a priority this offseason.
The Pistons will have the cap space to add an impact free agent or two (hopefully people who can score) and will also have a top-7 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
But they will also need internal improvement on offense from their young players, who have all showed some amount of promise offensively but still have big holes in their respective games.
The Pistons have a collection of young players (including Cade Cunningham) who we know are going to put in the work this offseason and should come back next season with a few new wrinkles to their game on the offensive end.
Here is one thing for each guy to try and add to his game this offseason.
Detroit Pistons: Necessary offensive improvements for the bigs
Marvin Bagley III
MBIII appeared to have found a second life in Detroit, as he played well off the bench this season, especially on offense, but there is one area where he needs big improvement and that is passing. Bagley III was reluctant to pass out of double teams and even when he did, it was often too late to make a difference.
He needs to get better at seeing that double team coming and either going quick to the hoop or passing out of it. Bagley III is a tough cover on the post and will be an even bigger threat once he gets better at passing out of it.
A lot of his post touches ended in tough shots, so MBIII must get better at hitting the cutters and open shooters when the double comes.
Isaiah Stewart
Fans became infatuated with Stewart’s three-point shooting (or lack thereof) this season, but that’s not the part of his offense that needs the most improvement. If the Pistons are relying on Beef Stew to be a volume 3-point shooter, then they are going to be the worst offense in the league again next season.
To me, Stewart needs the most work on his hands, as he fumbles and misses so many passes on the interior that could be dunks or easy layups. Stewart has to get better at finishing around the rim, as he shot just 52 percent on 2-point shots after hitting nearly 60 percent in his rookie season.
The long-range shooting will come over time, but what the Pistons need now is a big who can finish at the rim, and that starts with Stewart being able to cleanly catch the ball and go straight up with it. Far too many points were left on the table this season when Stewart either fumbled the ball or took too long to gather himself (often bringing the ball down in the process) for the shot.
He needs to be cleaner and more explosive around the rim to stay in the starting lineup.