Detroit Pistons Training Camp Notebook: Phoenix Suns Preseason Opener

Today should officially mark the end of the offseason for the Detroit Pistons since the Motown squad plays host to the Phoenix Suns for a preseason opener tonight at 7 pm at Little Caesars Arena. 

Ahead of the Pistons’ first action of the 2026-27 campaign, the team met up earlier today for shootaround No. 1 this season, which featured a very special participant in Jalen Duren. Now that the All-Star center is locked in with the Pistons for the next five years, Duren is determined to show off all the work that he put in during the offseason, which includes an expanded shooting range. 

During practice, both Duren and rookie Ugonna Onyenso were spotted putting up shots from beyond the arc before the Suns game, so perhaps the big men will have the green light when the preseason opens up. Onyenso hit a pair of triples during the Summer League, so the former Virginia center at least appears comfortable from downtown during live game settings. 

Duren, on the other hand, is yet to establish himself as a spot-up shooter through four years in the NBA, but the All-NBA Third-Teamer has worked on elbow jumpers during practice formats to increase his versatility on the court. The Pistons are hoping to serve as a more efficient shooting team this season after adding so many credentialed snipers during the summer, but a leap from Duren in that department could drastically alter Detroit’s offensive potential. 

Elsewhere on the squad, both Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland II have spent time working with Pistons assistant coach Fred Vinson to refine their shooting mechanics after posting abysmal metrics relating to their jumpers last season. Neither Thompson nor Holland eclipsed the 30% mark from three a year ago, so they need to improve just to reach the level of competency with the regular season just around the corner. 

On top of those focus points, Thompson mentioned after practice that the Pistons have a few new players to work into the mix, but they each have different positive traits to offer the squad. Thompson highlighted Taurean Prince’s veteran presence as a steadying force in training camp, and rookie Ebuka Okorie drew comparisons to Kyrie Irving for his handles and dribbling ability as well— not a bad stylistic doppelgänger for the rookie point guard. 

It’s unclear how much (if at all) Duren will play tonight since he’s still ramping back up, but the Pistons should have a handful of new lineup combinations to try out given all their additions from the offseason. There’s even talk that John Collins could log some time at the five during small-ball minutes, so look for the Pistons to operate with more balance this season since they finally have the requisite shooters to space the floor with.