The Detroit Pistons have exceeded expectations and bucked trends nearly all season.
Not only are they on the verge of the playoffs after a historically bad season, but the way they are doing it defies modern NBA trends.
Unlike many of the top teams, the Pistons don’t take or make many 3-point shots, as they are in the bottom half of the league in both attempts and percentage this season.
Instead, they get fat in the lane, in the top six in both points scored and points allowed in the paint, a bit of a throwback of a team that relies on defense, fast break points and a lot of dunks to get their buckets.
The offensive spacing obviously improved with the additions of Tobias Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley, but Beasley is the only elite three-point shooter of the three and they haven’t gotten much from players like Simone Fontecchio and Isaiah Stewart, two guys who were expected to hit more 3’s than they have.
The shooting has been all over the place of late, and should give Pistons fans reasons to be excited, but also reasons to be concerned as the playoffs approach.
Detroit Pistons stats: 3-point shooting over the last 10 games
When you look at the team shooting over the last 10 games, it’s a bit of a roller coaster, with some players on the rise and others hitting slumps.
The good news is that the Pistons are getting better shooting from some of the players who have mostly shot poorly this season, while the bad news is that some of their key guys are trending down at the wrong time.
Pistons trending up
Malik Beasley: 42.5%
Ok, he’s not trending up but just continuing his brilliant shooting, as this is pretty much his mark for the season.
Ausar Thompson: 40%
He’s taking fewer than one per game, but at least he’s seen a few go in lately.
Isaiah Stewart: 40%
Ditto for Stew.
Simone Fontecchio: 48%
Fontecchio could end up being an X-Factor after a mostly disappointing season, as he’s been on a tear of late, hitting nearly half of his 2.5 attempts per game over the last 10. This bodes well for the Pistons, as they’ve gotten little from Tek all season and could use more scoring off the bench.
Marcus Sasser: 57.1%
What can you say about Sasser? He just gets buckets whether he plays regularly or not. He’s only appeared in three games in this span but has made an impact with his shooting.
Dennis Schroder: 35%
This is his mark for the season, but an improvement from how he started in Detroit and he’s doing it on double the number of attempts. He’s shot over four from long range per game over the last 10 and has hit some big ones even though he hasn’t been lights out.
Pistons trending down
Cade Cunningham: 31.7%
Cunningham has struggled from the 3-point line of late, which could be the result of some wear and tear after playing 65+ games for the first time in his career. This isn’t too concerning, as every regular goes through these types of streaks and it will only take him one or two games to break out of it.
Tobias Harris: 27.6%
Sheesh. Harris has been all or nothing from long range all season, but he’s not shooting a ton of them and gets most of his buckets in the mid-range. It would be nice for him to hit a few more of the wide-open corner 3’s he seems to get every game.
Tim Hardaway Jr.: 31.9%
This isn’t surprising, as THJ has always been a streaky shooter. He’s now out (questionable for tonight) with an ankle injury, which is concerning, as the Pistons need his floor spacing in the lineup. Hopefully, he’ll have time to get back on positive streak before the playoffs start.
Ron Holland II: 11.8%
Holland’s 3-pointers always look good out of his hand, but rarely go in, at least not lately. After having a nice stretch in the middle of the season, Holland is back to missing most of his 3-point shots. He did hit a big one against the Pelicans, so let’s hope that gets him going, as his form looks good.
If Holland starts making 3’s regularly, he’s going to be a handful, as he’s already one of the Pistons’ best finishers around the rim.
The Pistons just need their regulars to get going again, as some of the role players are heating up and they could really start rolling offensively.