The young Pistons’ new head coach, Monty Williams, has placed a strong emphasis on defense, which is one of the reasons they’ve been using a starting lineup that doesn’t feature much shooting.
According to Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscriber link), the team’s issue with turnovers has been exacerbated by the team’s limited offensive spacing – the Pistons are last in the league in turnovers per game, and third-year guard Cade Cunningham leads the NBA in total turnovers (64 in 13 games, or 4.9 per night).
On Thursday, Williams said he was thinking about changing the rotation to give Cunningham more shooting options.
“He’s seeing two and three bodies every single night,” Williams said of Cunningham, who missed 12 games due to a shin injury last season. “Making the read can be difficult for point guards in general, but especially for a guy who has been out for a while.” When we watch the film at halftime, he knows exactly where he should’ve made the read, and when we talk at night, he’s already on it. It’ll just take a lot of repetitions. I believe it is a combination of the time off, various defenses, and physicality. Every night, he’s got bigger and stronger guys on him.
“I need to do a better job of giving him more room to play.” I think I’ll switch up the combinations with him on the floor so the paint doesn’t get too crowded. “I believe that will allow him to see a lot more clearly, if you will.”
Williams did change the starting lineup against Cleveland on Friday, with newly-signed Kevin Knox replacing Marvin Bagley in the frontcourt. Knox started at power forward, with Isaiah Stewart moving to center.
Knox’s strong play continued, with 11 points, 10 rebounds, two steals, and a block in 31 minutes. However, the change was insufficient for the Pistons to end their 10-game losing streak, according to Mike Curtis of The Detroit News.
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The fact that the team has been ravaged by injuries to begin 2023/24 is a significant factor in Detroit’s poor spacing. According to Curtis of The Detroit News (subscriber link), second-year center Jalen doesn’t provide much shooting yet, but his rim-running and strong synergy with Cunningham have been sorely missed since sustaining an ankle injury that has hampered him since October 30. Duren has missed the last three games because of bilateral ankle pain.
On a brighter note, Isaiah Livers, who has missed the entire season due to a Grade III ankle sprain, is questionable for Sunday’s game against Toronto, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. On Thursday, Livers took part in full practice. In 2024, the former second-round pick will be eligible for restricted free agency.
Detroit is now 2-11 during its 10-game losing streak, but Williams is encouraged by the team’s progress behind the scenes, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. “When we watch film, they see the things that we have taught that they know they can be better at,” he went on to say. “I see the development. I know it sounds crazy, but I see growth when I look at the numbers and the film. My hope is that with hard work and preparation, we will see consistent play as well as the style and identity that we want to put on the floor every night.”
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