The Pistons will have newfound wing depth heading into next season and that could shake up the rotation for one Duncan Robinson. Robinson was a regular fixture for Detroit last season, starting 77 contests in the regular season and 11 in the playoffs. But he could see those numbers trending down next season if he doesn’t improve his defense this summer.
Robinson’s defense holds him back
Even with his defensive flaws, it’s hard to ignore Robinson’s contributions towards the Pistons’ success last season. Although the team was led by other stars, Robinson’s constant presence and activity helped the Pistons offense tremendously. He used his sharpshooting ability perfectly to occupy defensive attention and hit plenty of threes as well.
But Robinson’s impact was still stunted by his poor defense. On most nights, he was the worst defender that Detroit trotted out onto the floor, which sometimes gave opponents a weak link to attack. In the regular season, the Pistons were obviously able to withstand this weakness as they racked up 60 wins. But the playoffs were a different story.
As we’ve seen for several years now, teams love to attack weak defenders in isolation during the playoffs. The 2026 postseason was no different for Robinson, who was relentlessly hunted by Paolo Banchero in the first round and the Cavaliers’ star backcourt in the second round. It was an especially effective tactic for the Magic, who had no other reliable forms of offense against the elite Pistons defense.
Robinson got to keep his starting role despite defensive struggles last season because no one else on the Pistons roster could bring the same shooting. Next season, Isaiah Joe will threaten his status as the best shooter on the team and provide superior defense. If Robinson doesn't step up defensively, he can expect to see his minutes and starts cut as the season wears on and the playoffs get closer.
The Pistons have Robinson in a predicament
Although Duncan Robinson won't ever be the star scorer Detroit needs to get over the top, he still filled a key role last season. That preserved his status on the team heading into the 2026-27 season, but he's not in the clear yet. Thanks to the uniquely harsh structure of his contract, Robinson hardly has any guaranteed money for next season and none at all for the following season.
If the Pistons don't see the need to keep him around or feel that he's not worth the nominal $15 million price tag, they can simply cut him with practically no repercussions. Not only will Robinson be fighting for minutes next season, he'll also be fighting to play out the rest of his contract. Dropping in the depth chart to Joe and others could mean he's out of a job before he knows it.
Thankfully, Robinson does still have some things working in his favor even on the defensive end. He's got good size for a shooting guard at 6'7" and 215lbs, which keeps him from being such an easy target for physical drivers. His quickness remains an issue that's hard to solve, but could be masked by a creative Pistons defense even in the playoffs. Beyond that, Robinson needs to improve his defensive discipline to avoid fouling unnecessarily.
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