The season opener for the Detroit Pistons was a rollercoaster in many ways. From a 23-point deficit in each half to tying the game late in the 4th quarter off a Ron Holland II corner triple, the Pistons opener had everything except a victory for the road squad. 

As predicted, Cade Cunningham was effective with 23 points and 10 assists, but his shot was off and it held the All-Star guard back from having the game he’s truly capable of. Overall, the Pistons need a stronger effort defensively and need to shoot better from distance to compete, and those areas in particular weighed Detroit down on Wednesday night. 

What worked for the Pistons 

Coming off the bench, Isaiah Stewart was dominant at times in the paint, and he posted 20 points and 10 rebounds in only 25 minutes of work. Add four blocks onto that statline, and Beef Stew made his presence felt on both ends of the court. In the second half, Stewart helped make a few crucial plays on defense, and he was even a perfect two-for-two from distance on the night.

In the third quarter, Stewart’s effort was joined by some tenacious defensive play from Holland, and the two remained physical and helped the Pistons jumpstart the fastbreak to help keep the Bulls’ lead within reach. Ultimately, Holland ended up with 19 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block in a productive shift for the second-year forward. 

Cade Cunningham Scores 23 As Pistons’ Season-Opening Comeback Against Bulls Falls Short, 115-111 The Pistons ultimately reversed a slow start but it was too little, too late against Chicago

From a team perspective, Detroit held a 68-50 advantage in paint points, and that can largely be attributed to Stewart and Jalen Duren’s influence. Duren connected on a series of lobs from Cunningham early in the first half, and he made regular trips to the rim against the Bulls in the season opener. 

What needs more fine-tuning 

As a whole, the Pistons were quite underwhelming shooting on the night. When it comes to three-point attempts, Detroit shot under 30% on the night, and that’s not going to cut it in the league nowadays.

Though it is difficult to harp on a player in his debut with a new squad, Duncan Robinson was virtually invisible on the night. Robinson started in his first regular season game as a Piston, and the veteran sharp-shooter posted three fouls, two points and one turnover in 32 minutes of action. It would be an understatement to say that Robinson needs to produce more to keep his spot in the starting lineup. 

Finally, this is not to be taken as a criticism of the player because he was more than solid on the night, but Ausar Thompson needs to be involved more for the Pistons to take that next step. While Thompson did initiate the offense a few times and he was active off the ball, Thompson needs the ball in his hands more often, especially in transition, to have the impact that he’s capable of having. Overall, Thompson logged 11 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, so the 6-7 point-forward was making an impact, but he needs to contribute a bit more in the scoring column to help complement Cunningham’s efforts. 

The Pistons will have an opportunity to climb back to .500 when Detroit plays the Houston Rockets on Friday, Oct. 24 at 8 pm. 

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