Concerning problem we knew was coming for the Pistons

When you looked at the Detroit Pistons roster before the season, there was a clear problem, which was that they didn’t have a real 3-point shooter other than Duncan Robinson. Fans rightfully wondered what would happen if Robinson got hurt or went into a slump, and we are now finding out. 

Robinson has always been streaky, like all great shooters, and when he is on, he’s one of the best in the league, but when he’s not, you get the guy who has shot 30 percent from long range over his last eight games after going 1-of-7 last night for three points. 

That’s always been his modus operandi, as Robinson will go 3-of-5 like he did against Brooklyn, then back it up with a 1-for-7 night. All high-volume shooters go through this and have to have the confidence to keep shooting, the belief that the next one is going in, and Robinson certainly has that. 

He’ll bounce back, and we have to hope this slump precedes a hot streak in the playoffs, but for the Pistons, these slumps are more important and more damaging than they would be for most teams.

When Robinson slumps, there is no one else 

The top 3-point shooting teams can weather a slump from their best shooter, as they have someone else to pick up the slack, but that isn’t the case with the Pistons. 

JB Bickerstaff wasn’t given many weapons when it comes to shooting, so when Robinson is off, he has nowhere to turn. 

Robinson is now shooting 39.2 percent from long range on the season, but after him, it is an abyss of shooting. The next best rotation regular is Daniss Jenkins, who is hitting 36 percent of his 3-point shots but has been terrible lately. 

Marcus Sasser is near 40 percent but has barely played this season and has done most of that damage in garbage time, so the numbers look better than reality, as he too has been broke since being moved into the rotation. 

Javonte Green, Kevin Huerter, Chaz Lanier, Daniss Jenkins and Sasser went a combined 0-for-11 from 3-point range last night, so weren’t able to pick up Robinson’s poor shooting. Trajan Langdon decided not to address this issue in any real way at the trade deadline, a choice he may regret.

When things are going well and the team is rolling, the lack of shooting isn’t noticeable, as they are getting points elsewhere, but when things aren’t going well, it’s a glaring issue that gets grim if Robinson isn’t making shots. 

The Pistons have officially hit a shooting slump that seems to have infected the entire team, but if Robinson isn’t going, they literally have no one else defenses care about beyond the arc, which makes their spacing even more challenging. 

Robinson will get going, as he always does, but this is going to be an issue for the rest of the season, as the Pistons desperately need someone else to step up and make a shot.