The Detroit Pistons' first-round struggles stemmed from the fact that the Orlando Magic found a way to take their shooters off the court, which in turn put an offensive burden on Cade Cunningham, especially considering the struggles from Jalen Duren.
Looking ahead to their matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit may be in a prime position to not only give their offensive weapons an extended run but also to exploit the same weaknesses that made them vulnerable in round 1.
There's no secret that outside of Cunningham and Tobias Harris, the Pistons don't exactly have many shot makers who can put pressure on opposing defenses.
Detroit's plan to utilize Caris LeVert off the bench as an offensive relief has seemingly backfired, which in turn added an extra need for consistent three-point shooting as the postseason unfolds.
In round one, Orlando's ability to exploit mismatches often put the Pistons in a bad position.
Now, in round two, Detroit has a golden opportunity to flip the script and deploy secret weapons of their own.
Pistons can rely on Duncan Robinson & Kevin Huerter in Cavaliers series
It's rare to find two-way sharpshooters in today's NBA, and for the Pistons, their best shooters, Duncan Robinson and Kevin Huerter, certainly have defensive faults.
When Robinson and Huerter are on the floor, it often poses a liability that allows for opposing offenses to attack the weak links in the Pistons' defense, which puts head coach J.B. Bickerstaff in a tough situation.
Bickerstaff could either deal with the points/fouls his sharpshooters gave up on the defensive end to keep a shooting presence on the floor, or he'd be forced to give extended minutes to more defensive-minded players and take his shooters off the floor.
Against the Cavaliers, Bickerstaff may not be faced with the same headaches considering Cleveland utilizes the same strategy with sharpshooters of their own, Dean Wade and Sam Merrill, both of whom have defensive faults.
With Cleveland's rotation heavily involving the likes of both Wade and Merrill, it leaves the Cavs with a defensive weakness of their own on the court, which should, in theory, make it easier for the Pistons to get both Robinson and Huerter more involved in this series.
Detroit could be dangerous if their shooters find a rhythm
Both Cunningham and Harris answered the call in round one, but against a duo of James Harden and Donovan Mitchell, there's no doubt that Detroit will need much more help than what their star guard and veteran forward can offer.
The Pistons have plenty of weapons on their roster, but it's been hard for them to prove that, considering none of them have managed to find a rhythm since the postseason began.
With extended minutes in this series, Detroit could elevate their play to another level if their sharpshooters can offer the offensive help that Cunningham desperately needs.
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