Frontcourt Upgrades Fuel Pistons Turnaround
After a roller coaster season in 2014-15 which saw the Detroit Pistons add, drop, and trade personnel due to both fit and injury issues, coach/general manager Stan Van Gundy finally has the Pistons looking like what you might expect a Stan Van Gundy-coached team to look like. As a result, the Pistons are well over .500 and currently locked into the final playoff spot in a much-improved Eastern Conference.
Over the offseason, the Pistons added three forwards: Ersan Ilyasova, Marcus Morris, and Stanley Johnson, who have combined to play most of the forward minutes for Detroit. Last year, many of those minutes went to Greg Monroe and Josh Smith, both of whom are no longer on the team. The Ilyasova/Morris/Johnson combination certainly does not have the talent that the Monroe/Smith combination had, but the former three fit perfectly with what Stan Van Gundy wants his team to do on the court.
The new Pistons trio at forward have shot over 34% from three through Detroit’s first 28 games. Last year, Greg Monroe attempted zero three point shots and Josh Smith shot 24% from 3. The “stretch 4” position is extremely important in Van Gundy’s offense, and the Pistons new additions have brought legitimate shooting threats at the power forward position after having none in the starting lineup last year.
But, the importance of the stretch 4 was evident in 2014-15 when the Pistons played their one legitimate stretch 4: Anthony Tolliver. When Tolliver was on the court last year, the Pistons had an offensive rating of 107.2 and a net rating of +4.5. Both the offensive rating and net rating while Tolliver was on the floor were the best numbers of any player in the Pistons’ regular rotation.
In Detroit’s first 28 games, their new group of forwards who can stretch the floor have seen success reminiscent of Tolliver in 2014-15.
The Pistons’ top two lineups have both been wildly successful, for very different reasons. With Ilyasova and Tolliver in the game, the Pistons’ defense has suffocated opponents. With Johnson in the game, the Pistons’ offense has dominated, albeit in a very small sample.
With Ilyasova in the game, the Pistons have played at a slow pace, electing to run their half-court offense and rely on their pick and roll, spacing, and offensive rebounding to execute offensively. Ilyasova has been been a real threat in the pick-and-pop game as evidenced by his 37.8% shooting on catch-and-shoot three point attempts. Defensively, Ilyasova has provided some much needed help defense through his willingness to rotate and take charges. This should come as no surprise. Ilyasova has always been good at drawing charges, ranking 5th in the league last year in that regard. While it’s not surprising, it’s a welcome sight for the Pistons. Greg Monroe was very limited due to his lack of foot speed and Andre Drummond’s defensive rotations have never been strong.
Ilyasova, by contrast, has the defensive instincts to get into open lanes and slow opponent guards’ penetration. Ilyasova’s willingness to step in and draw charges has led to numerous turnovers so far for the Pistons defense. With Ilyasova on the floor, opponents have turned the ball over 17% of possessions, the best rate among Pistons players.
When Stanley Johnson is in the game, the Pistons have chosen to get out in transition and play fast. Johnson’s game is much more suited to transition offense than Ilyasova’s. Johnson is quicker, a better ball handler, and a much better rebounder than Ilyasova. While Johnson has struggled to create offense in the half court, he has been excellent at grabbing rebounds and pushing the tempo immediately. Getting out in transition when Johnson replaces Ilyasova has been huge for the Pistons offense, as evidenced by their 125.3 Offensive Rating with the starters and Johnson in place of Ilyasova. The faster pace has led to more high-percentage opportunities for that particular lineup.
Perhaps more importantly, the Johnson lineup is producing a .690 Free Throw Rate, better than double the free throw rate of any other regular Pistons lineup. As good as this lineup has been offensively, they have been inconsistent defensively. That’s not all that surprising: Stanley Johnson is a rookie and has mental lapses defensively. But, he has shown flashes of brilliance defensively, especially against bigger opponents who he can use his body to slow down. Against smaller opponents, Johnson has struggled to stay in front of his counterpart at times.
Johnson’s struggles against smaller counterparts is mitigated by the flexibility that having two diverse options at the power forward position provides. When teams go small against Detroit, the Pistons can play Ilyasova, slow down the pace, and tighten up their defensive rotations. When teams go big, Van Gundy can insert Johnson, who can speed the game up and play better defense against large power forwards.
As well as Ilyasova and Johnson have fit in with what Stan Van Gundy likes to do, Marcus Morris has been the best forward of the trio. When Greg Monroe left for Milwaukee, there was a concern that the Pistons would lack someone who could initiate the offense from below the 3 point line. Marcus Morris has quickly erased that concern. While Detroit’s offense generally revolves around the Reggie Jackson-Drummond pick and roll, Marcus Morris has been a dynamic, play-making force from the post when Detroit’s offense is struggling.
The versatility of Ilyasova and Johnson has allowed Morris to play much of his minutes at the small forward position, where he has a big size advantage. In the season opener against Atlanta, Morris used his size advantage and posted up the much smaller Kent Bazemore on numerous possessions. On the above play, Reggie Jackson set a screen for Morris and then Morris used his size advantage over Bazemore to get good, deep position. The Hawks defense immediately gravitated toward Morris, but no one provided a double team to help out Bazemore. Morris recognized that, turned, and shot over Bazemore for an easy two points.
Later in the quarter, Morris again has a one-on-one matchup against Bazemore in the post. This time, Paul Millsap decides to help and attempts to trap. Morris recognizes Millsap coming to help and passes it to Ilyasova for a wide open 3 pointer.
The ability of Marcus Morris to create offense from the post, both for himself and for his teammates, will be a big boost for a Pistons offense that has struggled to score at times this year. And, unlike Greg Monroe, when Morris isn’t making plays from the post, he can step out to the perimeter and knock down open three pointers.
The extra spacing that Morris, Ilyasova, and Johnson have provided has been particularly important for the Pistons pick and roll. Reggie Jackson can get into the paint as well as just about anyone in the league, and it only gets easier for him when the middle of the floor is empty due to the Pistons’ shooting threats. Andre Drummond, who has been a force in the pick and roll from day one, has been even more dangerous with the middle of the floor open. Drummond has produced a staggering 1.20 points per possession as the pick and roll man through 28 games.
Against the Bulls, Reggie Jackson initiates offense early in the shot clock. Drummond sets a good, solid screen on Tony Snell, which frees up Jackson to make a hard move to the rim. Pau Gasol has to step up to stop the ball and Drummond gets a free path to the rim, where he uses his leaping ability to convert an easy dunk. Drummond’s athleticism makes him, at times, unguardable in the pick and roll. As a result, Drummond’s mere presence draws attention from opposing defenses that provides easier opportunities for Reggie Jackson on his drives.
In the fourth quarter of the Bulls game, Reggie Jackson ties the game on a play that looks like he just beats Tony Snell off the dribble. And, while Jackson does make a good take, Drummond’s presence certainly makes it easier than it might have been otherwise. When Jackson gets just past the free throw line, he makes a slight hesitation move with his shoulders that freezes both Snell and Pau Gasol for a split second. Snell is likely thinking about getting his hands on a potential pass, while Gasol shifts his weight towards Drummond, thinking he is going to have to defend an alley oop. That split second is all Jackson needed. He accelerates toward the rim and Snell and Gasol are both late protecting the rim because of the threat of the Drummond alley oop.
It’s important to note that, while the Pistons offense finally looks like a Stan Van Gundy offense, the Pistons have had their share of struggles offensively, posting a below average 103.6 Offensive Rating through 28 games. The Pistons have struggled in terms of shooting percentage, but the personnel is still getting used to playing with one another. The results have been inconsistent early in the season, but the foundation is there. The Pistons are spreading the floor, executing in the pick and roll, and finding open shooters. As the players become more comfortable with one another, the timing will improve and more shots will fall. Consistent with that, the Pistons offense has improved each month of the season so far. Through December 21, the Pistons have an offensive rating of 104.8, a number that is better than league average.
Defensively, the Pistons are evoking memories of Van Gundy’s Orlando teams, with Drummond playing the Dwight Howard role. Now, let’s be clear. Andre Drummond, right now, is nowhere near the defender that Dwight Howard was in his prime. And Drummond might never approach that level. His recognition of plays is still a bit slow at times, and he’s late to contest shots in help defense as a result. But, his the athleticism, length, and coordination causes opponents serious problems in the pick and roll. And, when he does recognize plays immediately, his length and athleticism alters a lot of shots in the paint. When opponents do miss, Drummond does what Howard did in Orlando: rebound everything. What the Pistons lose in opponents’ efficiency, they more than make up by cleaning up the defensive boards. Through 28 games, the Pistons are 8th in the league, rebounding 77.5% of their opponents’ misses.
While Drummond may never reach Dwight Howard levels defensively, the Pistons have something that Van Gundy’s Orlando teams lacked: a lock-down perimeter defender. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has been just that early in 2015-16. He’s asked to defend the opponent’s best guard/wing on a nightly basis, and he has performed admirably. KCP showed flashes of brilliance defensively in his first two years, jumping passing lanes and coming away with a lot of steals. This year, though, KCP has been brilliant at denying his counterpart the ball. Where he would gamble too much in his first two years, this year he is simply sticking on his opponents and consistently either denying his man the ball, or deflecting passes in the process. The athleticism and instincts, to a degree, have been evident throughout KCP’s first two years. Now, he is maturing as a defender, gambling less and denying the ball more. KCP’s defense has been especially brilliant against some of the top wings he’s faced this year:
Stan Van Gundy knows the blueprint. Play great defense, anchored by a great center, and create a lot of open looks from 3. His Orlando teams executed it well and were contenders as a result. The Pistons aren’t on that level yet. But, the emergence of Andre Drummond and the Pistons’ defense, as well as the spacing brought by the Pistons’ new stretch 4s, is deeply reminiscent of Van Gundy’s dominant Orlando teams. Future contender status is far from certain for the Pistons, but Van Gundy’s vision is starting to become a reality in year two, and the young, talented Pistons look poised to carry that vision out.