The Pistons have shown flashes of the team they could become. So, why do there seem to be two different teams that suit up for the Pistons?
The Dwane Casey Offense Doesn't Suit the Personnel
Some nights, the Pistons have a free-flowing offense of moving the ball, moving without the ball, cutting, and getting to the basket. Other nights, the offense weaves the ball 40 feet from the basket, stagnates the ball with shot-clock expiring isolations, and heaves lazy, contested 3's. The problem with the offense seems immediately evident. The young team feeds off of the ball movement and the people movement. Even their passes are sharper when they play this type of offense. When they isolate and jack up 3's, the passes get loftier. Some nights, teams beg them to backdoor them and drive to the basket, but the Pistons seemed possessed to shoot 3's with a team with 0 elite 3-point shooters (this includes Frank Jackson).
We Need More Size at the 5
I'm Isaiah Stewart's biggest fan, but I think that Dwane Casey was correct in assessing him as a 4. Stewart's outside shot needs to continue to develop to switch to the 4, though. Additionally, he needs to work on his hands. Cunningham and Hayes get him the ball in the paint frequently, but Stewart, just as frequently, drops the ball. So, Stewart could manage the 5 offensively if he finds a way to start finishing the dump-off passes or develops a more consistent 3-point shot to pull shot-blockers out of the paint to help the Pistons multiple slashers. Defensively, he will need to find a way to stop some opposing bigs. I think the off-season injury may have affected his explosiveness a bit, but as the season wears on, that ability seems to be returning. A dominant presence on the interior would help the full-throttle defensive approach so many Pistons have.
Time to Develop and Time to Mature
A part of the problem the Pistons have had this year is that they are young. They make some bad decisions in key moments, yes, but more significantly, they let one or two plays turn into 7 or 8-minute runs. They press the panic button too quickly and resort to quick shots, bad passes, and no defensive pressure. We've seen the third quarter woes far too frequently. This particular shortcoming may have some to do with a lack of preparation as well. The Pistons come out of half-time asleep, then they press the panic button. By the time they balance out, the lead is too big to surmount. The key to watch here is to keep watching the start of the 3rd quarter and when the opposition goes on a run. If they start to handle that better, the restoration process will go quicker. If they don't, the coach could be the problem. Can Dwane Casey raise another young team into playoff contenders? Or were the Raptors' frequent playoff collapses a sign of an underlying shortcoming?
So, keep an eye out for the style of offense the Pistons play, Stewart's development as a 5, and how the young Pistons adjust to adversity (turnovers and defensive effort). Are the answers there or do the Pistons need to make some changes? Let me know what you think!
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