Pistons' defense has a new challenger in the East

The Detroit Pistons won 60 games last season on the back of their defense, which was the best in the Eastern Conference and second in the NBA overall. 

But the Eastern Conference has improved, and the Pistons have made changes to their roster to get more balance, so Detroit’s grip on the conference’s top defensive spot is more tenuous. 

The Atlanta Hawks are following the Detroit Pistons’ model 

Atlanta is clearly trying to build around defense like Detroit did, as they made a trade for Lu Dort yesterday that adds another All-Defensive player to their perimeter. 

With All-Defensive steal machine Dyson Daniels and last year’s Most Improved Player Nickeil Alexander-Walker already on board, the Hawks now boast one of the best perimeter defenses in the league. With the versatile Onyeka Okongwu under the hoop, the Hawks are switchable and it won't be easy for opponents to find mismatches.

Atlanta finished in the middle of the pack defensively last season with the 13th rated defense, but the addition of Dort may push them into the top five. 

The question is whether Detroit has done enough to maintain their status as the best defense in the East. 

Has the Pistons’ defense gotten worse? 

The Pistons swapped out Tobias Harris for John Collins, which will likely be a wash defensively, though Harris had an easier time defending bigger fours.  

Collins is probably more versatile overall and has been the better shot blocker for his career, but I wouldn’t call him a big defensive upgrade over Harris. 

The big loss will be Isaiah Stewart coming off the bench, as he was one of the best rim protectors in the NBA last season, and the Pistons haven't done anything to replace him. 

Even though Stewart was a no-show in the playoffs, his ability to change the game defensively will certainly be missed, especially since Jalen Duren’s defense is still a work in progress. 

This will be a chance for Paul Reed to step up in that role, and though he is a much different defender than Stewart, Reed usually provides a defensive spark. He averaged nearly two combined stocks last season even though he played limited minutes. 

He’s not the stopper at the rim that Stewart is, but Reed creates chaos and makes things difficult with his energy and hustle. His big issue next season will be staying out of foul trouble, as he’s always been able to play wild in free in his short stints, but now it will be more important that he stays on the floor with no real backup behind him. 

The Pistons have also improved offensively (we hope) which should ease the pressure on the defense to be perfect all of the time. 

It’s arguable whether the Pistons have gotten worse defensively or if guys like Collins and Reed can be difference makers, but the rest of the East is catching up, and the Pistons will have challengers for the conference’s best defense next season. 

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