After three preseason games, the Detroit Pistons finally received a preview of what the Motown squad will look like when everyone is in the lineup since Jalen Duren made his long-awaited exhibition debut against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. In Detroit’s runaway 128-106 win, the Pistons started off slowly yet again but turned it on in the second quarter before running away with the game in the second half to move to 2-1 ahead of their preseason finale tomorrow night. 

Although one preseason game is an admittedly small sample size, the Pistons’ most recent contest was still informative in some respects and left a few clues as to how the 2026-27 campaign might unfold. 

Despite an offseason filled with a somewhat messy contract negotiation, Duren is back at the starting five spot in the Motor City, and he wasted no time in announcing his return versus the Timberwolves. In just 15 minutes of action, JD was nearly perfect from the field with 24 points (8-for-9 FGs) and three rebounds in his preseason debut and gave Detroit the necessary fuel for a double-digit victory. 

As an offensive threat, Duren revealed a product of his offseason training by handling the ball in the open court, making important reads when necessary and finishing plays at an alarmingly high rate. JD’s lone miss came from beyond the arc, and the All-Star went a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line to boot in what was an all-around dominant performance for the Memphis product. 

Operating next to Duren in the starting lineup, Collins gives the Pistons a lot of optionality in terms of what play types they’ll have access to this season. As a 10-year vet, Collins has a refined inside-outside game with the flexibility to pop threes or slam down lobs in the transition game, both of which will be valued commodities in the Detroit offense. 

The Pistons had a taste of that dynamic element on Wednesday night as Collins worked alongside Duren and Cade Cunningham to create mismatches all over the floor. That trio looked particularly explosive bobbing and weaving in between the Minnesota defense, and their ability to hit Duncan Robinson for open triples only further expands their potential threat on a play-by-play basis. 

After ranking just 17th in the NBA last season from long-range, the Pistons recommitted to their perimeter attack in the offseason. Robinson, however, is a holdover from last year’s squad who will continue to play an important role given his perimeter gravity, and the veteran sniper was locked in with a 4-for-5 effort from downtown versus the Timberwolves. 

As a team, the Pistons shot 44% from three-point range, which really allowed the group to cruise to a comfortable victory in the preseason affair. Detroit was in control for virtually the entire second half in Minnesota, which underscores how important it is the Pistons to hit open looks from distance this season.