Trajan Langdon had a tough task for the Detroit Pistons this summer, which was to improve areas of weakness without ruining what made the team good in the first place.
The Pistons won 60 games last year behind their defense, but were exposed in the playoffs when their offense wasn't up to the task, especially in the half court.
Langdon has made some nice moves along the fringes to improve the 3-point shooting, but had to give up veterans Tobias Harris, Isaiah Stewart and Caris LeVert, which will be felt.
However, he kept the engine of his defense intact while getting the extra shooting they need, so this could be the perfect caluluated swap that will improve the offense without destroying the defnsive identity.
The Pistons kept the agents of chaos
Isaiah Stewart was certainly a big part of the Pistons' defense last season as a rim protector and enforcer, and that will be missed.
But Paul Reed is actually the more disruptive defender, as he averaged just about the same combined blocks and steals as Stewart last season even though he played far fewer minutes. Reed's per-36 numbers absolutely smoke Stewart's, so there is hope that with increased playing time, Reed will actually outperform Stewart defensively in some areas.
The Pistons also boasted two of the league leaders in bench steals last season in Javonte Green and Ron Holland II. Green actually led the NBA in bench steals last season, and Holland will almost certainly improve and have an increased role as another agent of chaos.
And the Pistons kept the engine of their defense in Ausar Thompson, who is arguably the best perimeter defender in the NBA and second only to Wembanyama overall. These are the guys who got their hands on everything, who started fast breaks and helped contribute to the Pistons' elite transition offense.
So Detroit has managed to improve their shooting, which should help their half court spacing, but didn't do so at the expense of their defense or the players who drive their fast break opportunities with steals and deflections.
Losing Harris and Stewart will be felt, but the Pistons were able to make some of the improvements they needed without completely sacrificing their identity or going away from what made them good last season, which was an elite defense that turned chaos into points.
Last season, the Pistons had only one 3-point shooter that anyone cared about, now they have four who shot over 40 percent last season. Hopefully, this will strike a balance between defense and offense and allow the Pistons to succeed when the game slows down in the playoffs.
Add us as a preferred source on Google