John Collins: Detroit Pistons Have ‘True Depth’ After Duren, Thompson Injuries

Now that the 2026-27 campaign is underway, the Detroit Pistons are beginning to show shades of all the changes they made during the offseason. 

After the Pistons’ 128-111 win over the Miami Heat last night, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff mentioned that during the offseason it was a point of emphasis for the team to become more dangerous from the perimeter. So, the Pistons went out and acquired John Collins, Taurean Prince and Isaiah Joe during the summer— three players with a history of 40% shooting from three-point land. 

In Detroit’s first win of the season, which featured a 22-point comeback against the Celtics, it was the veteran pairing of Duncan Robinson and Javonte Green that propelled the Pistons to victory from long-range. Both Robinson and Green drilled five triples each, and Detroit was able to secure a season-opening win. 

Then last night, the Pistons went on the road but proved that their outside shooting can travel alongside the squad. Robinson and Collins both hit several long-range shots to give Detroit a quick double-digit lead in the first quarter, and that veteran two-some combined for 10 three-pointers in Detroit’s first road win of the regular season. 

Although the shot-takers might differ from game-to-game, the Pistons are making a concerted effort to perform as a more balanced team both inside and outside the paint this year since they finally have the personnel required to do so.

”We have true depth,” John Collins said after beating the Heat. “Not only that, we have young legs, young hungry guys. We have older veterans who have seen a little bit more of the league, so it’s just a nice balance of everything. Obviously, our two top dogs, we’ve got Deuce and big JD, so we’ve got a lot of different pieces. Ausar [Thompson] on the defensive end is a monster as well, so just a lot of different areas we can attack offensively, defensively, so I’m just impressed with our depth and going to continue to grow as well.”

In Detroit’s 17-point win over Miami, Collins finished with 23 points, seven rebounds and one assist on a 9-for-15 shooting night from the field, which obviously includes a handful of triples. At times, Collins even flexed to the five for small-ball minutes against the Heat after Jalen Duren left the game due to injury, but Paul Reed served as the new Pistons first-string center for the rest of the game. 

As for Duren, the All-Star big man left the game in a hurry after injuring his right thigh in the first half. His return was initially dubbed as questionable by the team, but he never made his way back onto the floor. Shortly thereafter, Thompson appeared to hurt his ankle after his legs were tangled up in a transition play, and he quite literally followed Duren’s direction through the tunnel and into the locker room as well. 

Both Duren and Thompson are crucial players for the Pistons, so an absence of any amount of time would be impactful for Detroit, though an update on their status is not expected until pre-game on Sunday. Bickerstaff declined to offer an update on their status after facing the Heat, but there should be more news on their condition in the next 24 hours or so since the Pistons face the Philadelphia 76ers at 7:30 pm on Sunday, Oct. 25.