Ranking The Detroit Pistons Biggest Concerns Before The 2026-27 NBA Season

By admin — In News — August 30, 2026

   ​Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn ImagesThe Detroit Pistons already showed they are done with rebuilding and passed the regular-season test. They went 60-22, finished first in the East, posted a +8.2 net rating, and built the NBA’s second-ranked defense. Cade Cunningham made the All-NBA First Team, Jalen Duren became an All-Star and All-NBA Third Team center, and Ausar Thompson finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting.The question now is whether that formula works deep into the postseason. Detroit’s offense fell from 117.9 rating in the regular season to 110.7 in the playoffs, and the Cavaliers exposed some problems that 60 wins had covered up. The Pistons were absurdly elite defensively to contend, but they couldn’t build an efficient half-court offense to be a title favorite.John Collins, Isaiah Joe, Taurean Prince, and Gary Harris help, but Detroit also lost Tobias Harris, Isaiah Stewart, Caris LeVert, and Marcus Sasser. Assuming Duren eventually gets the new contract everyone expects, the core isn’t really changing. The next step depends on fixing these four issues. 4. The Frontcourt Depth Took A HitDetroit’s frontcourt is still good at the top. Jalen Duren averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds while shooting 65.0% from the field, and John Collins should give Cunningham another strong pick-and-roll target who can also stretch the floor after making 40.6% from three last season.The depth behind them isn’t nearly as comfortable. Isaiah Stewart averaged only 10.0 points and 5.0 rebounds, but those numbers undersell his role. He gave Detroit 1.6 blocks in 22.7 minutes, could defend either big man spot, played next to Duren when the Pistons wanted size, and could also close games at center when they needed more mobility. Stewart finished seventh in Sixth Man of the Year voting because his impact went well beyond scoring as this team’s enforcer.Harris also gave Detroit a reliable 63-game starter at power forward. He averaged 13.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting 46.9% from the field and 36.8% from three, then averaged 21.6 points in the first-round series against the Magic. Harris wasn’t spectacular, but he rarely made the lineup harder to organize.Collins should replace most of Harris’ scoring and probably improve Detroit’s vertical spacing. The defensive replacement for Stewart is harder to find. Paul Reed can handle some backup center minutes, but after him Detroit gets thin if they need an extra big body. Collins can slide to center in smaller lineups, but that isn’t something Bickerstaff will want against the big teams. 3. They Still Don’t Have Enough Proven ScorersThe Pistons addressed some of the lack of shooting they needed last season, but they’re still lacking that secondary scorer to take over games alongside Cunningham.Duren’s scoring is heavily dependent on the ecosystem around him. He’s elite around the basket, grabbed 3.8 offensive rebounds per game, and shot 65.0  

Content Source: Yahoo News

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