The Detroit Pistons are 3-0 after beating up on another of the teams in the Eastern Conference that was supposed to surpass them this season. Boston, check. Miami, check. Philly, check.
It's very early, but I picked the Pistons to win the East again and so far, that prediction looks solid.
They’ve done this despite not yet getting a great game out of Cade Cunningham, and while suffering three early injuries to Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson and now Isaiah Joe.
Part of that is because of the red-hot shooting of Duncan Robinson, who has been one of the Pistons’ best and most important players through three games.
Robinson is not only averaging nearly 20 points in the first three contests but has knocked down 53 percent of his 3-point shots, and many of them have been timely daggers.
Philly kept cutting into the Pistons’ lead last night, but every time it looked like they had the momentum and might overtake Detroit, Robinson came up with a 3-point make to quiet the crowd and end the 76ers’ run.
The Pistons have been launching more 3-point shots as a team than they did last season, and if this keeps up, Robinson has a good shot at taking down Malik Beasley’s 3-point record.
Duncan Robinson can chase down Malik Beasley
In the 2024-25 season, Malik Beasley set the Pistons record for 3-point makes in a season with 319 total, which was second in the league overall.
Even though Beasley was coming off the bench, he took over nine attempts from long range per game and hit 3.9 of them on average. Beasley was not only getting the attempts but played in all 82 games that season, so they piled up.
When the Pistons had to trade for Robinson after Beasley’s gambling flame-out, my initial response was that Detroit was getting a better, more versatile offensive player, but a slight downgrade in high volume 3-point shooting.
Robinson had only taken eight or more 3-point attempts per game twice in his career and averaged seven per game last season as Detroit’s top sharpshooter.
This season? Robinson is averaging over nine attempts per game so far and has hit five of them on average. If you’re doing the math in your head, he’s currently on pace to obliterate Beasley’s record.
It’s not likely Robinson makes over half his 3-pointers this season, and there will obviously be stretches where he goes into a slump as all shooters do, but the Pistons have clearly made it a point to get him more shots this season and it his paying off, as he’s not only making them but making life hell for the defenders who have to chase him around and honor his shooting.
Robinson’s blistering start has saved the Pistons from early injuries, and if he can keep up this volume, he’s going to be in the Pistons’ record books.
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