3 things we may have underestimated about the Detroit Pistons

The Detroit Pistons got their first win of the 2023-24 season, beating the Charlotte Hornets on the road behind a stout defense and clutch play in crunch time.

It wasn’t pretty, especially the turnovers, but it was a win we’ve waited a long time to see, the culmination of four years of tanking to get the young talent that is starting to come together.

The optimistic among us predicted the Pistons would win more than 30 games this season, while the pessimists chose Detroit to finish dead last again. We’re a long way from knowing who is right, as the Hornets stink and you can’t get too excited about one win, especially with a tough upcoming schedule that features a lot of road games and matchups against the league’s best teams.

But things are definitley looking up, and there are some factors at play that people may have underestimated in their season projections for the Detroit Pistons.

3 things we may have underestimated about the Detroit Pistons

The Monty Williams effect

I have to be honest, I didn’t think we’d see such a seismic shift in the Detroit Pistons this early in the season, but they are clearly a different team under Monty Williams. He has stressed defense all offseason, put his team through the rigors in practice and given minutes to those who stood out on the defensive end.

It’s already working, as the Pistons are flying around, contesting and blocking shots, making the right reads and rotations and feeding off their defense.

The offense is a work in progress, but Williams’ players have bought in on the defensive end, which is how you turn this culture around.

The offense hasn’t been great, mostly because the Pistons have been so sloppy with the ball, but you can see the bones starting to form.

Monty has made these young players accountable and motivated on the defensive end. Let’s just hope they can sustain this, as this is how the Pistons get back.

3 things we may have underestimated about the Detroit Pistons

Jalen Duren’s defensive leap

Jalen Duren was the youngest player in the NBA last season, but showed he could rebound and pass a little.

We talked all offseason about how he needed to improve defensively, and after two games it looks like that leap came sooner than expected.

Duren has been dominant in the first two games, grabbing every rebound in sight, but more importantly, making good rotations on defense, contesting shots and protecting the rim with six blocks in the first two contests.

Duren manhandled Mark Williams last night, finishing the game with 14 points, 17 rebounds, two blocks and a steal that led to a Beef Stew dunk on the other end:

Ausar Thompson, Killian Hayes and Isaiah Stewart have all been very good defensively, but the most noticeable difference to me has been Duren, who has been in the right spots and looks to be tapping into his immense potential on the defensive end.

If Duren’s defense is what it has looked like in the first two games, the Pistons may have their defensive anchor, which changes the ceiling for what they can be this season.

3 things we may have underestimated about the Detroit Pistons

Isaiah Stewart’s overall impact

We spent most of the offseason debating whether Beef Stew could shoot well enough to be a starting power forward while ignoring all of the other things he brings to the table.

I’ve been a stauch Stewart supporter from the beginning. He is the type of player you need to change a culture, as he hustles, brings energy every night and is a great communicator on the defensive end. I feel somewhat vindicated after just two games, as Stewart has arguably been the most important player in both of them.

He’s not just bringing it on the defensive end, though he had plenty of great plays there last night, especially in the 4th quarter when he willed the Pistons to victory:

Stewart made two huge 3-point shots in the 4th quarter to help stave off the Hornets, and when the shot wasn’t there, he took it to the rim for a layup. He got into Charlotte’s heads, made them lose composure and put the team on his wide shoulders down the stretch.

The shooting has been fine, and to be honest, it’s not a big concern if he is going to play defense like this and make big plays when the team needs him.

This isn’t Isaiah Stewart’s team (that’s for Cade) but he is its heart and the other guys feed off his energy and listen to him when he talks.

It’s just one game, and the Pistons could very well come out tonight and stink against the Bulls, but the coaching is getting through, their bigs are producing and this team has a vibe around it unlike anything I’ve felt in four years. Now they just need to show they can bring that same level of intensity night after night.