The Detroit Pistons were one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the league last season, finishing next to last in both attempts and 3-point shots made per game.
It’s something Trajan Langdon clearly tried to fix this offseason, as all of the additions were players known mostly for their shooting in Isaiah Joe, John Collins and Taurean Prince.
The Pistons had exactly one elite 3-point shooter last season (Duncan Robinson) and have added three more guys who not only hit them at a high rate but take most of their shots from behind the arc.
That should mean an uptick in both attempts and percentage this season, and we’re already getting a look at it in the preseason.
The Pistons are launching more 3-pointers
At this point in the preseason, everything has to be taken with a grain of salt the size of the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs.
Preseason games are sloppy, usually have a ton of turnovers, poor defense and plenty of 3-point attempts, but there are early signs that the Pistons will carry their increased 3-point shooting volume into the regular season.
The Pistons took 30.8 long-range shots per game last season, which was 29th in the NBA. So far in the preseason, they launched 36 against the Suns and a whopping 48 against the Wizards.
I don’t think the Pistons are going to take nearly 50 3-pointers per game in the regular season (at least I hope not), but there is a middle ground between those two numbers where we may see them live.
Joe, Collins and Prince averaged a combined 14.6 attempts from 3-point range per game last season, and in the case of Joe and Collins, we may see them take even more in Detroit, where they could have bigger roles.
We may see Cade Cunningham take 1-2 more per game this season as he tries to diversify his shot diet and not take so much punishment in the lane.
The Pistons aren’t going to completely change their DNA and go away from what made them good last season, but if they are taking closer to mid 30’s to low 40’s in 3-point attempts this season, it will make getting into the paint even easier.
This probably doesn’t matter as much in the regular season, but last year in the playoffs, the Pistons were extremely easy to defend, as teams just packed the lane and dared them to shoot over the top.
Detroit also gave up a ton of points at the 3-point line, which shouldn’t be the case this season, but it will be up to JB Bickerstaff to best balance his offense and use the 3-point shot to open up other parts of the half court.
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