Detroit Pistons Showing the Importance of Depth
- Chad Marriott
- Nov 11
- 4 min read
The Detroit Pistons won their seventh straight game last night, defeating the Washington Wizards in overtime, 137-135. The Pistons entered the game in Detroit with the Eastern Conference's best record, while the Wizards entered with the worst. So, a blowout or an easy context might have been expected. Only one problem (or rather a few), the Pistons' injured list grew to six (Tobias Harris, Ausar Thompson, Isaiah Stewart, Caris LeVert, Jaden Ivey, and Marcus Sasser). The latter two have yet to play, but Thompson and LeVert joined Harris and Stewart as recently injured players. However, the Pistons improved upon their best start since 2005-06 with a 9-2 record.
So, why does this matter? The Pistons' depth matters because it has helped them find ways to win games without a full deck. Last night's game saw Cade Cunningham post 46 points, 11 assists, and 12 rebounds while shooting 14-45. It wasn't pretty, but he helped the injured Pistons win another game. His performance alone wasn't enough, though. Last night, the Pistons got a career best from two-way guard Daniss Jenkins. He scored 24 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to send the game into overtime. He made big plays throughout the fourth quarter and overtime on both ends of the floor. He drew the unenviable assignment of defending CJ McCollum.
Last night's game also featured big performances from Javonte Green (11 points and 11 rebounds, along with stellar defense) and Paul Reed (eight points and nine rebounds, with multiple hustle plays). The point is that this time it isn't just one guy. It's a team with, arguably, 13 players who have made important contributions to wins (setting aside both Sasser and Ivey). The Detroit Pistons are showing the value of their depth.
Detroit Pistons Depth Is Undervalued
The Pistons have a plethora of role players. Some will notice this and declare it's time to make a trade to get another "guy," but this is foolish, shortsighted thinking. The Pistons have already had several injuries this season. Imagine if the team didn't have this depth to make up for it. If the Pistons front office had followed the contemporary wisdom (a phrase that contradicts itself), they would be in a lot of trouble. Instead, Trajan Langdon ignored the media-pushed fad of trading for a superstar and has built a team that can literally say "next man up" because the players have proved it.
The media's primary issue is that the Pistons don't have much three-point shooting in their depth. Well, what do they have? Scrappy defensive players capable of getting in the paint and getting on the break. That's how the Pistons have won. Green and Reed have consistently contributed to the Pistons this season. Reed's 13 points and nine rebounds in Houston helped the Pistons overcome foul trouble from Stewart and an ejection from Duren to win on the road. Green was a part of a unit that sparked the comeback against Boston (Holland-Thompson-Green-Stewart-Lanier).
Lanier was brought in for his shooting, but he has found a way into the game on multiple occasions because of his defense. If he puts the two together, he can be an important part of this team. Klintman played a big role in the turnaround in Brooklyn. He hasn't found a groove on offense either, but his movement off the ball and general court awareness could help him earn more minutes.
Detroit Pistons Depth Raises Their Floor
How good this team can be will be determined by Cunningham, Duren, Thompson, Stewart, and possibly Ivey when he returns. Those players can raise the Pistons' ceiling. The role players, the players who knock down corner threes, find ways to get stops, grab the extra rebounds, and fill in for foul-riddled or injured players, are the ones who raise the floor.
In years past, when a Pistons starter got hurt or was in foul trouble, the drop-off was quite steep. Reed may not have the prettiest game, but he gets the job done. He rebounds, plays defense, and makes the occasional incredible play. Green has managed to come up with knockaways and blocked shots in key moments as well. Robinson is averaging three three-point makes per game over his last ten. LeVert is averaging 11.3 points per game in his last three. This team gets deeper when they get healthy.
The Pistons are showing signs of becoming a team that can win over 50 games and advance deep into the postseason. Only time will tell if Cade and company can raise their play to that level in the playoffs. However, the Pistons have already shown they have the depth to play at a consistently high level in the regular season.
(All stats provided by Basketball Reference)
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