The Detroit Pistons had one of the best defenses in the league last season but were among the worst 3-point shooting teams in the NBA, which came back to haunt them in the playoffs.
Trajan Langdon addressed this issue in the offseason, and the early results look favorable, as the Pistons are taking and making more 3-point shots than they have in the last two seasons.
After finishing near the bottom in both attempts and makes the last two seasons, the Pistons have jumped into the top half of the league in both categories this year.
They are also hitting a higher percentage, which is one metric to look at when you are talking about teams that have a chance at a title.
The Pistons’ defense and 3-point shooting
The Pistons are currently 7th in the NBA in 3-point percentage, shooting right around 38 percent as a team, which is an important number, as it’s usually enough to be in the top five in the league if not lead it.
Detroit has the number one defense in the NBA, allowing barely over 100 points per game, another metric that is important when we are talking about championships.
Last season, the New York Knicks finished 4th in defensive efficiency and 4th in 3-point percentage on their way to a title.
The year before that, it was OKC’s turn, as they had the league’s best defense and were in the top half of the league in 3-point percentage, which also led to a title.
In the 2023-24 season, the Boston Celtics were 3rd in defense and 2nd in 3-point percentage, so these numbers have clearly mattered when it comes to a team’s title chances in the modern era.
With more ball and player movement and a faster pace of play, teams are getting up more shots than ever, so possessions and efficiency are key. If you take care of the ball, limit turnovers and offensive rebounds while knocking down a high percentage of 3-point shots, you are going to win a lot of games, which is what we’re seeing right now with the Pistons.
It’s become a 3-and-D league in many ways, and the Pistons found out the hard way last season what happens when one part of that equation is lacking.
Obviously, the Pistons still have weaknesses, especially when it comes to the type of shot creation you need in the playoffs, but they are doing well in two of the most important indicators to look at when evaluating whether a team is a true contender.
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