The Detroit Pistons have reached their boiling point after losing to the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night. The team is not connecting well due to their trust issues on the offensive end.
After losing their last 3 out of 4 games, one which was at home to the Philadelphia 76ers, it’s time for them to address their issues.
Saturday night before speaking with any media, the Detroit Pistons held a team only meeting, led by Aron Baynes and Marcus Morris. According to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press, Morris did most of the talking. “I said at the end of the meeting that we have to make a decision,” Morris said.
“Everybody go home tonight and decide on what you want to do. Do you want to be a winning team or do you want to continue to get embarrassed? Are you going to play for the next man beside you or are you going to play for yourself?”
Morris continues to elaborate on the team’s trust issues on the offensive end. “If you have a guy wide open, he has to get the ball. It builds guys’ confidence. It makes the game funner. That’s just how it is. Of course some dudes are going to get more shots than other dudes. That’s how the game goes,” Morris said.
“Guys are not going to respond well when they don’t get the ball when they’re open. That’s just basketball. That’s just the right way. The Spurs, Golden State, Cleveland, the top tier teams play the right way. You never win if you don’t play the right way. That’s just the bottom line.”
Morris is right on point. According to analytics the return of Reggie Jackson has been a big reason why the ball movement has slowed down.
When Ish Smith started at the point, Andre Drummond’s usage rate was at 25.4%, Tobias Harris at 22%, and Marcus Morris’s usage rate was at 18.4%.
With the return of Reggie Jackson into the lineup, each of their top three players usage rate have decreased. Drummond is now at 21.4%, Harris is at 18.4%, and Morris is at 16.4%.
Of course the usage rates would be higher with Ish Smith as the point guard, because he’s more of a facilitator. However this may be what the Pistons need in their starting lineup.
In other words should the Pistons bring Jackson off the bench?
He’s a scoring guard that loves to use the pick and roll. But the Pistons will never compete with the top tier teams if that’s their offense. In order to compete with the Cleveland Cavaliers, or even the Toronto Raptors in the postseason, they will need to trust each other and move the ball.
Otherwise, they will continue to face the same issues.
