The Pistons are 27th in the league so far in made threes per game, and sorely missing Malik Beasley’s shooting from last season. Although they did their best to replace his 3-point volume with Duncan Robinson, he has not lived up to the caliber of his predecessor so far. Beasley had one of the most incredible shooting seasons of all time, and it’s unrealistic for the Pistons to get the same production from any sharpshooter this season.
Beasley’s historic shooting is hard to replicate
Last season, Beasley hit almost 4 threes a game at 41% from deep. His level of accuracy and volume has only been matched in NBA history by max contract players - guys like Stephen Curry, Anthony Edwards and Klay Thompson. With that considered, Beasley was arguably the best contract in the whole NBA.
Now, the Pistons are relying on 3-point shooting from other players to make up for Beasley’s absence. Robinson is his direct replacement, but doesn’t have the same wanton confidence that Beasley showed. After a slow start, Robinson is now up to 2.6 made threes per game on 39% shooting. That still places him around the top 30 in the NBA, but Beasley was second in the entire league for total threes made.
Beasley’s shooting and quick scoring off the bench buoyed the second-unit offense last season. Without him (and other key guards), the Pistons bench has struggled to score points. They are clearly missing an offensive spark plug off the bench, although they have plenty of good defenders.
Without Beasley’s shooting to sustain advantages or keep the score close when the starters sit, the Pistons have played a lot of close games. This has necessitated clutch heroics from Cade Cunningham, who has thankfully grown in high-pressure situations. It’s made for exciting basketball to begin the season, but sometimes a little too close for comfort.
It’s also worth nothing that Beasley himself would likely not have been able to match his historic pace again. His threes per game has hovered close to 3 than 4 in other seasons, and he’s rarely crossed the 40% threshold from long range in his career. But he earned the respect of every defense last season, and could use that to the team’s benefit if he were to return.
Malik Beasley’s talents are missed in Detroit with every passing game. 3-point shooting has not been a strength for the Pistons this season but they have found ways to win in other ways. Their interior dominance and staunch defense has done the trick so far, but adding more shooting wouldn’t hurt. Even as the Pistons get threes from other guys, it’s clear that very few shooters in the league can bring the same production and impact that Beasley had last season.