The Detroit Pistons made a tactical lineup change this offseason with John Collins expected to start at the four now that Tobias Harris is in San Antonio
All throughout last season, an argument can be made that the Detroit Pistons struggled in certain stylistic aspects of the game like perimeter shooting, but one area they did not struggle in was their ability to establish and stick to an identity.
For the Detroit Pistons, a roster with Cade Cunningham at the helm and an ascending big man down low in Jalen Duren lended itself to an interior focus. In what was an All-NBA campaign, Cunningham showed the ability to create shots for himself at the second level whenever he wanted, and the pick-and-roll combo with JD allowed for Detroit’s big man to reach All-Star status.
With that combination fueling the Pistons’ offense for much of the regular season, Cunningham and Duren had their most productive years so far, and the squad received balance from Duncan Robinson outside and Tobias Harris operating from the mid-range. Clearly, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has been able to preach the importance of creating turnovers on defense to kick-start the transition game, which then produces more high-percentage looks at the basket. But in general, the Pistons focused mightily in the mid-range and the low post when operating out of the half-court last season, but Harris will be replaced by John Collins in this equation moving forward.
Collins will offer the ability to space the floor as a 40% three-point shooter, but he will continue to provide efficiency in the mid-range to go along with that outside presence. Last year, Collins was responsible for 1.27 post-up points per possession, which ranked No. 1 in the NBA among those with at least 50 attempts. In that respect, both Duren and Cunningham were not far off that place and comfortably in the top 10 at 1.22 points and 1.2 points respectively, so Detroit should have the option to continue leaning into what’s been a fruitful element of their offensive production so far.
In fairness, Harris ranked as one of the league’s most reliable mid-range options over the last two years, but Collins has youth on his side and has an extensive history of turning post-up opportunities into highlight-level finishes. During his time with the Los Angeles Clippers last season, Collins posted an incredible rate of 74.3% from less than 0-5 feet away from the rim, which underscores his strength and explosion from the low post. Dragging that range out to the 5-9 feet range lowers Collins’ efficiency to 41.6%, but the new Detroit power forward boasts a 56.5% shooting percentage from the 10-14 foot zone.
With the added ability to hit shots from beyond the arc, Collins has the size and athleticism to put his stamp on the pick-and-roll game in Motown as well, potentially in many of the same situations that saw Duren flourish last year. Collins will bring a more expansive array of versatility to the Pistons than Harris could have offered for a similar price tag, so Detroit might have opened up a more high-octane version of their offense during the offseason without breaking the bank.
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