Pistons get new offensive identity with improved shooting, floor spacing

DETROIT — Cade Cunningham organized a player-led minicamp for his teammates this summer. When he arrived at a San Diego gym in late August, Cunningham was excited about the turnout.

Almost every player on the roster attended the camp, except for Jalen Duren . His absence did not surprise Cunningham, given that the All-Star duo has been in contact all summer. The ongoing communication stems not only from the close relationship they have built over the years but also from Cunningham's understanding of what Duren is experiencing in his ongoing contract negotiations with the Detroit Pistons .

"He talked to me beforehand, and we were all good," Cunningham said during media day on Monday. "That's my brother, on and off the court. We have gone to war with each other. The negotiations are between him and the front office. That has nothing to do with me. The best thing I can do is support and encourage him, and try not to let him get too down."

Instead of focusing on Duren's absence, Cunningham focused on his teammates in San Diego. The minicamp gave the Pistons an early chance to build chemistry and prepare for the upcoming 2026-27 season. Two months later, Cunningham's approach foreshadowed how the Pistons began training camp on Tuesday at the Henry Ford Pistons Performance Center without their All-Star and All-NBA center, who remains out amid a contract dispute.

"You just have to coach the team. That decision is out of my hands right now, and I can't let it take away from my responsibility to the guys who are here," coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "We prepare ourselves as coaches to put our best foot forward to give these guys who are in the gym now the best that we have, helping them prepare for how we move forward and getting us ready for the season."

The Pistons' training camp roster will include 19 players, a handful of which will highlight the significant changes the team made over the summer. Ausar Thompson recently had a moment of realization in the locker room at Little Caesars Arena, where he and Cunningham recognized that they were the only two players remaining from the team's abysmal 14-win season during the 2023-24 campaign.

Detroit parted ways with Tobias Harris , Isaiah Stewart and Marcus Sasser — three players who played prominent roles in Detroit's resurgence over the last two years. They replaced them with John Collins , Isaiah Joe and Taurean Prince — three players the Pistons believe will address the shortcomings that led to their second-round elimination by the Cleveland Cavaliers last season.

Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon believes each new addition can meet the team's defensive standard while also giving Bickerstaff more optionality and versatility in the rotation. However, each newcomer's biggest contribution to Detroit will be improving its shooting.

"I think we can still be a top defense in the league," Langdon said. "If I can keep that foundation, along with adding more shooting and more spacing, and cutting our turnovers down, that was the goal and the vision when it came to putting this team together. I do believe we have gotten better, but only time will tell."

Last season, Collins, Joe and Prince all shot 40.0% or better from beyond the arc for their respective teams. This will help the Pistons improve on their 17th-place finish last season, when they shot 35.6% from beyond the arc. Despite being mediocre from deep, the Pistons maintained one of the league's best offenses. They finished the season with the ninth-best offensive rating, posting a net rating of 117.3 while averaging 117.8 points per game.

The Pistons once believed they could succeed without strong 3-point shooting, but that strategy hurt their offense in the playoffs. They shot 35.9% from beyond the arc over 14 playoff games, which contributed to a drop in their offensive net rating to 110.4, while their scoring average fell to 104.9 points per game.

Building on last season's performance, the Pistons are optimistic that their improved shooting will help them establish a new offensive identity. The additions of Collins, Joe and Prince will not only improve Detroit's subpar 3-point shooting, but also create more space on the floor, requiring opponents to be mindful of their position on the court.

"The shooting is going to be a big difference for us," Bickerstaff said. "When you have guys who have proven in this league that they can carry weight and carry gravity, people are gonna have to play us differently. Also, these are guys who have been there before. Their experience, along with their skill set, will help. ...Their ability to move off the ball. It will make teams chase us instead of just sitting and packing the paint. All of those things will be helpful for us."

During their five-on-five sessions in Southern California, Cunningham noticed that each newcomer's shooting skills will not only impact the team's overall 3-point production, but also from an individual standpoint. Cunningham noted that his new teammates' shooting has created more one-on-one scoring opportunities because of the defensive pressure they generate. Thompson — a secondary ball-handler — agreed with Cunningham's observation.

"They are all knockdown shooters. I've been playing with them, and they have been very impressive," Thompson said. "I am super excited. The paint is going to be more open. I wish someone would step off one of them."