4 most encouraging signs from Pistons preseason
The Detroit Pistons ' preseason finished with a strong 108-92 victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Detroit's starters were only active for limited minutes in the first quarter. The reserves played the rest of the game on the way to their double-digit victory.
This was the first glimpse at the Pistons under their new front office and coaching leadership. Detroit ended on a high note with a 3-2 record featuring impressive play through their exhibition matchups. While preseason does not always translate to the regular season, there were plenty of positive takeaways to build on.
Active team defense
The Pistons were easily one of the worst defensive teams last season after allowing an average of 119 points per game. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff preached the need for a defensive identity all offseason and the team displayed a hopeful glimpse of that change throughout preseason.
Through five games, the Pistons only surrendered an average of 97.2 points. Detroit found a rhythm defensively as they generated an average of 18.2 turnovers from their opponents. Those turnovers put the Pistons' young athleticism on display with 20.4 fast break points per game.
One of the most helpful tools for a team learning each other is turning defensive stops into easy buckets. Bickerstaff said he wanted to establish a winning culture for the Pistons by the end of the season. The defensive effort shown throughout preseason provided hope that identity is on the way for this roster.
Jaden Ivey 's jump shot
Detroit desperately needs to improve its shooting as a team if they want to grow this season. Shooting guard Jaden Ivey is one of the most important players who can help. His offseason work on his jumper has been reflected through his numbers in preseason.
Ivey averaged an incredible 83% on two-point jump shots and 53% from three-point range. He showed confidence in shooting jumpers off the dribble and in catch-and-shoot spots too. Bickerstaff complemented his development during the pregame media session before tipoff against the Cavaliers.
"He's an unbelievable person who spends a ton of time in the gym working on his game. He's trying to get better and wanting to improve," Bickerstaff told Kory Woods from MLive. "What we see now is a belief. When you watch him when he shoots it, he believes it's going in. He's playing with a confidence that separates good from great. I think he's building his way in that belief of self that will help push him over the top."
The Pistons hired assistant coach Fred Vinson to help aid the team's shooting development. Ivey seems to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of that coaching. Shooting consistency from Detroit's third-year combo guard would help provide much-needed scoring balance.
Spacing for Cade Cunningham
The Pistons have been plagued with extra defensive attention drawn to their franchise point guard Cade Cunningham. Opponents regularly scheme against Detroit by double or triple-teaming Cunningham to force teammates to shoot. Limited spacing has contributed to some of his inefficient shooting and turnovers.
Detroit's President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon acquired numerous veterans to help provide better floor spacing to assist Cunningham. The veteran shooters have benefited from the pick-and-roll dynamic between their floor general and center Jalen Duren. They connected on numerous alley-oops through preseason that didn't have crowded defenders around them.
Bickerstaff has also schemed sets with Cunningham to play in the post to take advantage of his size. If this spacing continues to thrive in Detroit, it could produce more All-Star caliber numbers from Cunningham.
The return of Tobias Harris
Bickerstaff stated he wanted to use preseason to determine the best lineups and rotations heading into the regular season. He confirmed that returning Piston Tobias Harris would be a starter and we saw a clear sense of why.
Harris only played three games during preseason after missing the first two because of COVID. He had his best performance in the 109-91 victory against the Suns. The 14-year veteran chipped in 22 points for the Pistons on 8-13 shooting from the field and 2-4 from three.
