The Detroit Pistons should be concerned about their lack of shooting depth, and if something happens to Duncan Robinson, they are in big trouble.
The Pistons swapped out Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. for Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert and lost a ton of floor-spacing in the process.
You could argue that the Pistons came out ahead in the exchange in some ways, as LeVert is a better defender than THJ and can do more with the ball than just catch-and-shoot.
You could also argue that Robinson is a better all-around player than Beasley, who was as one-dimensional as they come. Neither player is a good defender, so that is more or less a wash, though there are concerns that defenses are going to target Robinson when he’s on the floor.
Robinson is not going to replace Beasley’s shooting by himself, as there are few players who could, including Beasley, as he had a historic season shooting the ball that he's unlikely to replicate.
The concern isn’t so much Robinson, as he’s a proven shooter from long range who will demand attention from defenses, but what if he gets hurt? As it stands right now, he’s the only real floor spacer on the roster, which could become a big issue.
However, the Pistons still have options.
Detroit Pistons roster: Malik Beasley, Chaz Lanier and the lack of shooting
It seems like we’ve been talking about the Pistons’ lack of 3-point shooting forever, and it’s still a concern, as they lost more than 600 made 3-point shots from last year's team in Beasley, THJ and Dennis Schroder.
They will be one of few NBA teams to start two complete non-shooters, and other than Robinson, they don’t have a lights-out 3-point shooter coming off the bench.
If something were to happen to Robinson, the Pistons would be left with Jaden Ivey as their best 3-point shooter, which is far from ideal.
Luckily, the Pistons do have some options. They still have an open roster spot, one they are seemingly leaving open in case Malik Beasley is cleared to play next season. Bringing Beasley back would give them some insurance, especially since he rarely misses games. Two elite shooters are better than one.
There is an outside chance that rookie Chaz Lanier could step into some kind of role if he can prove himself as a shooter, though expecting a second-round rookie to replace Beasley’s shooting is a pipe dream.
Robinson did play 74 games last season, so hopefully he’ll be healthy and provide the spacing the Pistons need, but if not, they are in big trouble unless they can add another shooter or someone else really steps up.