Pistons need upgrade in surprise area after playoff no show

Coming into the playoffs, the center position wasn’t an area of concern for the Detroit Pistons, as they had three good ones that had performed all season, but as they walked off the court after a disappointing game seven, that sentiment might have changed. 

The Pistons’ big man group was one of the best in the league this year, led by All-Star Jalen Duren and two of the most productive backup bigs in the league in Isaiah Stewart and Paul Reed. 

Unfortunately, the least likely of these three, Paul Reed, was the only one who stepped up in the playoffs, and the Pistons are left wondering if they are good enough at the center position to compete with the elite of the NBA. 

Duren and Stewart were outplayed (by a wide margin) by Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, and things weren’t going to get any easier if they won with Karl-Anthony Towns and eventually the dominant bigs of OKC and San Antonion looming. 

The Pistons are a in a tricky spot, as they need Duren, but they also need a center who can score in the playoffs, and right now, they don’t have one. 

The Pistons need a new look at center 

The Pistons’ bigs were dominated in the playoffs outside of some nice run by Paul Reed, but even Reed’s heroics come with an asterisk, as most of it came against backups when the Pistons were losing and desperate. 

That said, Reed is the only one who is currently giving the Pistons good value for production on a team-friendly contract. 

Jalen Duren is still limited offensively, which makes him very easy to defend and doesn’t help the spacing issues.  

Isaiah Stewart can shoot, but he rarely does, and he’s morphed into more of a specialist rim protector and defender who doesn’t have much of an offensive bag either. 

They were so bad offensively in the playoffs that Reed looked like prime Wilt Chamberlain in comparison, as he at least has some moves around the rim and didn’t constantly get stuffed like Duren and Stewart. 

The Pistons could use a different look at center, someone who can shoot a little and doesn’t have to get all of their shots right at the rim. The Cavs had a huge advantage being able to surround their guards with shooters, including Evan Mobley, who would be the second-best 3-point shooter on Detroit. 

But finding a stretch five is easier said than done and might require tough choices. 

The Pistons will have tough calls, but could look elsewhere for help

The answer is probably to look for a power forward who can shoot and then hope that is enough to offset the lack of shooting from the center position, but if not, someone has to go. 

It’s going to be tough for the Pistons to pay upwards of $50-60 million a year combined for two centers who can’t score. And it pains me to say that $15 million a year now looks like a steep cost for a guy who played 58 games and was a complete no-show in the playoffs two years in a row. 

If the Pistons want a new look at center, they may have to trade one of their top two guys to do it, which isn’t going to be easy, so Trajan Langdon may have to find that shooting elsewhere. 

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