The Pistons got a lot of flack for extending Kevin Huerter on a 3-year/$27 million contract this offseason, but he’ll be well worth the money if he can get back to his sharpshooting ways. Against the Wizards, Huerter showed the first glimpses of that hope by hitting 3-of-6 attempts from 3-point range.
As the Pistons strive to build a contender and give Cade Cunningham more offensive help, Huerter’s additional shooting could make a big difference. Combined with his developing all-around game, Huerter will be a great supporting piece for the Pistons if he returns to the shooting efficiency that defined his early career.
Huerter can be one of the league’s best shooters
When he first entered the league, Huerter’s standout skill was his shooting. And he lived up to that reputation out of the gate; Huerter hit 38% of his threes in his first 6 seasons across the Hawks and Kings. Then a labrum injury changed his trajectory and he hasn’t found the same shooting stroke since 2024.
Since his injury, Huerter has constantly faced shooting setbacks. He’s only knocked down 32% of his threes since then, across three different teams in the Kings, Bulls and Pistons.
But Huerter’s brilliant preseason performance against Washington gave Pistons fans a lot of hope. He looked very confident in his shot and hit looks in different situations, including a handoff three and a stepback in the corner. If these are regular makes for him this season, the Pistons found another essential piece for their rotation.
Detroit needs yet another high-level shooter in their wing rotation to make that position a strength. Now that the Pistons don’t have the same center depth anymore, their depth advantages must come elsewhere. If Huerter can be a great shooter again, he’ll make a great bench tandem with Isaiah Joe on the wings.
Huerter is more than just a shooter now
The silver lining of Huerter’s labrum injury has been his development in the non-shooting parts of his game. He’s grown as a ball-handler, defender and finisher inside the arc over the last two seasons. Those improvements were also evident against the Wizards, as he added 3 assists and 1 steal.
In a pinch, Huerter could even fill in as a makeshift backup point guard. It’s not the ideal fit, but Huerter is capable of making the right passes and plays in a flowing offense. His partnership with Paul Reed already seems in tune for a deadly pick-and-roll.
But the shooting is what ties everything together. If Huerter proves his jump shot is back to its peak form, he’ll be able to leverage that threat for great all-around contributions. The Pistons would love to see it and find more answers to their biggest problem.
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