Under the Hood – it’s time to see what’s really going on inside this Pistons team.
While there wasn’t a lot to appreciate in this one, I at least enjoy this set JB Bickerstaff has used frequently.
Jalen Duren acts like he’s going to set a screen for Cade Cunningham, but actually sets an off-ball screen for Duncan Robinson instead.
Option 1 – Duncan shoots the three
Option 2 – Duncan hits Duren on the roll
Option 4 – Duren drops it to Ausar in the dunker spot or hits Tobias in the corner
Here’s that set being ran by Duren:
Here’s a pretty similar set being ran by Stew, but this time Duncan’s gravity around the screen leaves Stew open on the slip to get an open dunk:
When I say this team needs more shooters, I don’t just mean they need players with a high 30s three-point percentage. They also need players who prioritize scoring from the three-point line – guys who WANT to take most of their shots from deep.
For example, last season, Malik Beasley took 13.1 FGA per game, but 9.3 of those came from the three-point line – that means 71% of his attempts were three-point shots. For comparison, Duncan Robinson is at 78% this season (7.2/9.2). Here’s how it looks for the entire rotation, ranked by minutes played:
- Cade Cunningham – 30%
- Duncan Robinson – 78%
- Jalen Duren – 0%
- Tobias Harris – 37%
- Ausar Thompson – 6%
- Isaiah Stewart – 32%
- Ron Holland – 36%
- Caris LeVert – 48%
- Javonte Green – 56%
- Jaden Ivey – 52%
- Daniss Jenkins – 40%
After Duncan, this team’s next “shooter” would be… Javonte Green? Jaden Ivey?
The reason I’m bringing this up is because it’s clear Phoenix has shooters on their team. There are multiple players whose main focus is spreading the floor and taking majority of their shots from deep. Detroit doesn’t have enough of those kinds of players.
Collin Gillespie and Grayson Allen combined to attempt 23 three-pointers last night and they made nine of them – three more made than Detroit’s entire team.
I’ve brought up before how I believe some players on the team don’t always focus on spacing the floor, especially in transition – just the other day against the Kings, I used this possession to highlight how Tobias should’ve filled in the corner instead of running into a clogged paint.
The Phoenix Suns do not have this problem. Both Grayson Allen and Collin Gillespie love spacing the floor.
This Grayson Allen possession looks eerily similar to the above Tobias mistake, except Grayson did the right thing and got a wide open three out of it.
Even when they’re not getting the ball, they’re still spacing out the floor for their teammates. Here’s another transition possession for the Suns, but watch as Gillespie runs straight to the corner with his hands up to give his teammate an open passing option if he needs it.
For comparison’s sake, let’s look at Phoenix to see what percentage of their field goal attempts are three-pointers. Here’s their top five in minutes played:
- Devin Booker – 30%
- Dillon Brooks – 41%
- Grayson Allen – 67%
- Royce O’Neale – 81%
- Collin Gillespie – 64%
Sans Duncan, those three Suns players would instantly be the top three shooters on Detroit’s team. Trajan Langdon has to put another player on this team by the trade deadline who prioritizes scoring from deep in order to make this team harder to guard offensively.
