Pistons in danger of losing what made them so good, but it's also an opportunity

The Detroit Pistons didn’t add a star name to the roster this offseason, but the changes they did make could have a profound effect on the team’s identity. 

The Pistons focused on one skill when they added players this summer, three-point shooting, which was a huge area of weakness last season that should be much improved with the additions of John Collins, Isaiah Joe and Taurean Prince to go with Duncan Robinson. 

The Pistons now have a glut of shooting, which will change how they do business on the offensive end. 

The Pistons can’t live in the paint 

Detroit was second in the NBA in points in the paint per game last season, going back to an old-school offense that relied heavily on short-range hoops. 

The interesting thing about points in the paint is that most of the teams in the top 10 in PitP per game were bad last season. 

New Orleans, Miami, Chicago, Dallas and Utah all lived in the paint last season, and most of these teams ended up in the lottery. 

Meanwhile, teams like the Spurs (11th), Thunder (20th) and Knicks (21st) were scoring in more diverse ways even though they also have paint-dominant players like Wembanyama, SGA and Brunson. 

I wouldn’t expect the Pistons to completely abandon their paint-first offense, but they have to diversify if they want to keep up with the elite teams. 

The Pistons may become more perimeter-oriented, but that’s actually good news for their paint scoring. 

More space equals easier points in the paint 

It became clear in the playoffs that the Pistons’ half-court offense wasn’t at the level it needed to be, mostly because they were a one-trick pony, and all teams had to do was pack the paint to stop them. 

That should be more difficult to do now that the Pistons have fewer lane cloggers, as Tobias Harris liked to work in the high block, and he’ll be replaced by John Collins, who will take more of his shots from the corner and dunker’s spot as a cutter and vertical threat. 

Detroit can now unleash lineups that have three shooters around Cade Cunningham, which will hopefully open up the pick and roll game between him and Duren as defenses won’t just be able to collapse and always go under the screen. 

The Pistons have to change how they do it, but the end result should be easier shots in the lane even though their overall percentage of points there may go down overall. 

This should lead to a more efficient offense that is a little more difficult to plan for than it was last season. 

The Pistons have to rely less on one of the things that made them good last season, but it should lead to a more dynamic offense. 

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