Every offseason swap was an upgrade for the Pistons

The Detroit Pistons’ offseason has an aura of disappointment around it, as team didn’t trade for a star as many expected, but every move they made was a good one and should see them better equipped to deal with the postseason. 

The Pistons essentially made swaps at different positions and when you look at them individually, it should equal a roster that is far more dynamic on offense and has answered one of its biggest questions from last season without sacrificing much. 

John Collins is better for the Pistons than Tobias Harris 

I love Tobias Harris, and there are elements of his game the Pistons are going to miss, namely his ability to get his own shot over just about anyone. That can’t be underestimated, especially when the Pistons didn’t add another guy who can reliably do it.

But it’s the location of that shot that matters, as the Pistons already have two non-shooters in Jalen Duren (pending) and Ausar Thompson, so Harris’ mid-range and post game just added to the spacing problems. 

Collins pretty much just shoots 3-pointers or dunks, and he’s very good at both. He’s a legit 40 percent 3-point shooter who is even better from the corners. He adds a vertical element Harris didn’t, is more athletic and is a better defender, so overall Collins should be a better fit who doesn't need the ball in his hands on offense.

I’m excited about his addition, as he might be in the perfect situation to thrive with the Pistons. 

Taurean Prince/Paul Reed add more offensively than Isaiah Stewart 

This one might be the toughest sell, as Stewart was great defensively for the Pistons last season and was the heart of their team for years. 

But Stewart was an offensive negative who did little on the scoring end other than set screens. Stew can shoot but didn’t do enough of it to matter, had bad hands and was never a real roll threat.

Prince is not near the defender Stewart is and is far more of a real backup four, while Stewart was playing as an undersized center, so Prince will do something Stewart never did, which is stand in the corner and hit 3-point shots. 

With Paul Reed taking Stew’s spot in the rotation, Prince will be the backup the Pistons didn’t have last season and will offer a more dynamic offensive weapon than Stewart. Prince may not outplay Stew by himself, but between him and Reed, the Pistons should get more production out of those backup spots. 

So long, Caris LeVert! 

LeVert became the Pistons go-to scapegoat last year, but for good reason, as he had the worst season of his career. 

LeVert was in and out of the lineup with injuries all season, and shot poorly when he was healthy, hitting just 40 percent of his shots overall and 33 percent from long range. He also didn’t do the thing the Pistons needed most, which was create with the ball, as he turned it over at a high rate and mostly just ended up taking a bunch of tough shots. 

Joe is far more efficient, and while he may not offer LeVert’s theoretical creation, he’s one of the best spot-up shooters in the NBA, and I’ll take that over LeVert. 

This is a clear upgrade for the Pistons that should make a big difference. 

Ebuka Okorie wants to get more than Marcus Sasser 

I think it’s a bit much to expect Okorie to come in and dent the rotation right away. I see him more in the Sasser role where he will get spot minutes when guys are injured or in foul trouble. 

I also liked Sasser, whose professionalism belied his age and who was always ready when called upon. 

But Sasser could only do one thing well, which is shoot, so if Okorie can develop into the player the Pistons are hoping for, he should offer more on the offensive end in terms of playmaking, dribble penetration and getting to the line. 

This one is probably a wash, but if Okorie can pop later in the season, he has a chance to play a more meaningful role than Sasser had, especially moving forward. 

The offseason didn’t have big name, but it had fruitful swaps that should make the Pistons more difficult to deal with on offense without giving up too much on the other end. 

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