As the Feb. 5 trade deadline approaches, plenty of chatter surrounds the Pistons. The top team in the East isn't without its flaws. Namely: does Detroit make enough threes?
The Pistons are playing a different game than most of the NBA. Their offensive identity, as described by coach J.B. Bickerstaff, revolves around "being physical, driving the basketball and creating paint opportunities." Most teams these days want to make it rain from beyond the arc. The Pistons want to "dominate the paint."
"We’re not going to play a game that everybody else might play just because that’s the way that everybody’s doing it," Bickerstaff said. "We try to play the game based on our personnel, and we have physical, attacking, punishing people on our team."
It's worked for them so far. Question is, will it work in the playoffs? Will this style of offense be enough to propel the Pistons through the East in a season where the conference might be theirs for the taking?
The Pistons are 26th in the NBA in three-pointers made per game. The last time a team ranked in the bottom five of the league in three-pointers and reached The Finals, the Grizzlies still played in Vancouver and the Pelicans didn't exist. That was in the 2000-01 season, when Allen Iverson and the 76ers lost in five games to the Lakers.
Philadelphia ranked 28th in the NBA with 3.2 threes per game, an almost laughably low figure. Know how much the game has changed? The Celtics led the league that season with 7.2 threes per game, about four fewer than the current-day Pistons. But we digress.
Point is, the Pistons probably aren't prolific enough from deep to make it through even a watered-down East this spring. Could one of the most prolific three-point shooters of all time help them?
The Mavericks might move Klay Thompson. If so, Trajan Langdon and the Pistons should absolutely be on in it. Dallas is 12th in the West and going nowhere this season, and Thompson has a reasonable contract that carries a $16.6 million cap hit this season and $17.5 million next season.
No, Thompson isn't the All-Star he once was with the Warriors. His three-point shooting has waned a bit in his two seasons with the Mavericks, slightly down from his career mark of about 41 percent. In a reduced role off the bench this season, he's averaging 11.9 points and knocking down about 38 percent of his threes.
But Thompson's mere presence on the court still strains a defense and spaces the floor. And his scoring numbers, per 36 minutes, are much closer to his career averages. In his age-35 season, the man who's made the fourth most threes in NBA history remains a threat, which means he remains a problem for the opponent. Thompson scored 23 and 26 in back to back games last week.
The Pistons have also been linked to the likes of Michael Porter Jr. of the Nets, Lauri Markkanen of the Jazz and Trey Murphy III of the Pelicans, big-time scorers in their own right. But each player presents complications for Detroit.
Porter Jr. is not known for his defense, which is a non-negotiable for Bickerstaff and the Pistons. And while he's indeed having a breakout in his first season in Brooklyn (25.5 points per game, 40 percent from three), he's also the beneficiary of being the No. 1 option, on a bad team, for the first time in his career. Porter Jr. would not have the same role on a Cade Cunningham-led team in Detroit. Would the production translate?
Markkanen raises the same questions on defense. His contract also pays him about $50 million per year for three more seasons after this one. Markkanen is a true offensive star, a seven-footer who can shoot the three and who ranks ninth in the NBA in scoring this season, but the Pistons are already paying max money to Cunningham and have to budget for another big extension for Jalen Duren. Taking on Markkanen's deal just might not be feasible.
Murphy is a blossoming star for the Pelicans on one of the best contracts in the NBA, signed through 2028-29 at $28 million per year. Good luck prying him out of New Orleans. Murphy would cost the Pistons multiple first-round picks and likely multiple players, which probably isn't a price that Langdon is willing to pay at this point in Detroit's rise. Even a first-round pick plus a young player for Porter might not fit Langdon's vision.
Which brings us back to Thompson. His shooting speaks for itself. He's also been a strong defender over the course of his career, with an All-Defensive team selection on his resume. Two serious leg injuries have stolen some of his quickness, but Thompson is still a smart, willing player on that end of the floor. And the acquisition cost for the Pistons would be low, likely a second-round pick and/or matching salary.
Certainly, there are bigger difference-makers the Pistons could pursue. A player like Porter might give Detroit a more immediate jolt. But all things considered, Thompson feels like a natural fit. He'd address the Pistons' most glaring flaw, he'd mesh with their defensive identity and he wouldn't cost Langdon premium capital.
If the four-time NBA champ is traded, the speculation is that Thompson will return to the Warriors to chase a fifth ring. But Langdon, once a deadeye shooter himself, should at least see if Thompson can be lured to Detroit.