Detroit Pistons Preseason Questions and Concerns

Heading into the 2025-26 season, the Detroit Pistons will battle with something new: expectations. These expectations will only be compounded by the Detroit Tigers' historic collapse.

Detroit's teams have all gathered around grit and internal development. Fans' questions and concerns center around the anxiety of the Pistons "not doing enough" heading into the season. The Detroit Pistons' preseason questions center on Jaden Ivey, spacing in the starting lineup, and the emphasis on internal development.

"1 cade cunningham 2024" by Chensiyuan is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Detroit Pistons Preseason Question 1: Can Jaden Ivey be the second star?

Before his season-ending injury, Jaden Ivey had assumed the role of the team's second star next to Cade Cunningham. Ivey showed flashes of being able to carry the team and handle the point guard duties when Cunningham wasn't in the game. He averaged 17.6 points and 4.0 assists per game with a career high of 40.9% three-point shooting. Some have shown concerns about his ability to bounce back and handle this level of responsibility. Just type his name into a Google search, and you will find plenty of articles pitching panic.

However, Sports Illustrated recently posted an article hinting at a possible Most Improved Player of the Year Award. Ivey's improved shooting, alongside his athleticism, makes him a dangerous player on offense. If J.B. Bickerstaff can help him elevate his defense, he can be the team's best two-way player. The organization stood behind Ivey when many pundits were arguing for the team to trade him in a Kevin Durant-style deal. However, Trajan Langdon had this to say:

“Jaden Ivey was having an incredible season before he got hurt in early January. His first two months of the season, he was fantastic on both sides of the floor. So he looks good out on the floor now. He is ready to go. Doing workouts here, he looks really good. The best that he’s looked since coming off that injury.”

The Pistons' success this season will largely depend on the answer to this question. If the organization's confidence in Ivey is rewarded, the Pistons can elevate beyond the sixth seed.

Detroit Pistons Preseason Question 2: Can the Starting Lineup Create Enough Spacing?

Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren are not known for their three-point shooting. That's obvious. With both in the lineup, the question is whether Ivey and Tobias Harris can create space for Cunningham to do what he does best. As mentioned above, Ivey's three-point shooting has improved. Harris shot 34.5% last season, a shade lower than his 36.6% over his 14-year career.

Player	3P%	RPG	PPG	Height
Jalen Duren	0	10.3	11.8	6-10
Tobias Harris	34.5	5.9	13.7	6-8
Ausar Thompson	22.4	5.1	10.1	6-7
Jaden Ivey	40.9	4.1	17.6	6-4
Cade Cunningham	35.6	6.1	26.1	6-6

However, the Pistons aren't a three-point-heavy team. They get in the paint, play in the midrange, and run the floor. That's not to say that shooting isn't important, especially with the loss of Malik Beasley, but this lineup trades outside shooting for defense, athleticism, size, and rebounding. Not to mention Thompson's ability to take on ball-handling responsibilities.

Ultimately, the Pistons' starting lineup won't have any dominant three-point shooting, but all lineup construction is a trade-off. Bringing Duncan Robinson off the bench gives the second unit, featuring Isaiah Stewart, Ron Holland, and Caris LeVert, some outside shooting alongside more athleticism. Additionally, Ivey's shot improved after working with shooting guru Fred Vinson. It's reasonable to expect improvement from Thompson and Holland this season.

Detroit Pistons Preseason Question 3: Will internal development be enough in 2026?

Historically, "internal development" is interpreted as "doing nothing" among Detroit sports fans and media. However, it is an invaluable requirement of building a sustainable winner. The Pistons will eventually reach an "all-in" point, but there are no shortcuts to roster building. The Oklahoma City Thunder built their juggernaut with internal development. The same can be said of the Boston Celtics. The Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, and Phoenix Suns have each tried the "all-in" approach in recent years. They've all failed miserably and set their franchises back in draft capital and financial stability.

The Pistons aren't a title contender yet. They have a chance to improve with internal development and growing confidence. It's not headline-grabbing, nor is it what fans want to hear. It's smart. The team has few long-term contracts and is finally recovering from years of trading draft picks away. This season allows them to reset and evaluate the first two questions.

The question should be specified. Enough to get them back to the playoffs? Yes. Enough to satisfy a city with no titles in any major sport since 2008? Unlikely. Aside from the Lions, the city doesn't feel remotely close to a title. The Red Wings remain in their rebuild, and the Tigers have imploded. Everyone should be careful not to pin their disappointment on this young, promising team.

(All stats provided by Basketball Reference and StatMuse)

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