The Detroit Pistons exit the All-Star break with the best record in the NBA and a remarkably balanced rotation. Between their All-Star duo of Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren, their defensive specialists led by Isaiah Stewart and Ausar Thompson, and their offensive dynamos such as Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert, Detroit has a bit of everything.
When the postseason begins and the best team in the Eastern Conference attempts to earn its reputation, however, the Pistons will need to shorten their rotation.
It's not necessarily an indictment of Detroit, but more an acknowledgement of how teams typically approach the playoffs. The starters see their minutes increase, the second unit shrinks down to a scarce few players, and every second of a game threatens to cause a swing in momentum.
The Pistons will thus need to decide whether it's their defensive or offensive specialists who take precedence when one must be prioritized over the other.
It's fair to assume Detroit will lean toward defense considering that's been their modus operandi during the 2025-26 season. The need for offensive creativity around Cade Cunningham is unavoidable, however, as the Pistons can only hope to go so far if he's left to create on his own.
With this in mind, the final third of the 2025-26 regular season must be spent deciphering the proverbial code and figuring out who actually fits the postseason structure.
Should Pistons prioritize offensive or defensive players in playoffs?
Detroit's success is a direct result of its remarkable balance as both a defensive juggernaut and a top-10 offensive team. It currently ranks No. 2 in the NBA in defensive rating and has embraced a physical and tenacious style on that end of the floor.
By that same token, the Pistons are also No. 10 in offensive rating, as well as No. 6 in field goal percentage and No. 5 in offensive rebounds per 100 possessions.
In an ideal world, each of those metrics could be sustained with a rotation that requires no changes. Robinson is the shining example of the dilemma at hand, however, as a sharpshooter on a team that ranks No. 24 in three-point field goal percentage. He's, unfortunately, also a subpar isolation defender.
Robinson certainly provides effort on defense, but his career with the Heat was littered with examples of how teams aim to isolate and score on him in the playoffs.
On the opposite end of the spectrum is Thompson, who ranks among the NBA's most overwhelming defenders but his 30.0 percent shooting from beyond the arc in 2025-26 is a career-best mark. Just as Robinson will be isolated, Thompson will be left open and dared to shoot.
With those possibilities epitomizing the dilemmas that await J.B. Bickerstaff, the Pistons must be prepared for excruciating rotation decisions to define their postseason fate.