The Detroit Pistons will hope to make a deep postseason run in the 2026-27 campaign. After a 60-win campaign, followed by a second-round exit, the Pistons are feeling the pressure to take a step forward. Just replicating the regular-season success will not be enough. The Pistons have to make more noise in the playoffs and ideally win more rounds than they did last season.
Whether they did enough to upgrade their roster this summer is up for debate. They were active, and they added more shooting, but are they actually better than they were last season? In an improved Eastern Conference, it's difficult to answer "yes" to that question.
But there are ways that the Pistons can punch above their weight. They still arguably have the best player in the East, Cade Cunningham. Assuming Jalen Duren is back as well, the Pistons can put together elite two-way lineups.
JB Bickerstaff's rotations were fluid last season. Even though he rarely changed his starting lineup, he always had different five-man combinations to close the game, including in the playoffs. This will continue to be the case for a team with several new faces.
The lineup I'm looking forward to the most includes just one newcomer. While John Collins will likely start and play a large role, this five-man unit that includes Isaiah Joe instead of him gives the Pistons more upside:
PG: Cade Cunningham
SG: Isaiah Joe
SF: Duncan Robinson
PF: Ausar Thompson
C: Jalen Duren
What eventually doomed the Pistons last season was their inability to score in the half-court. Their defense was enough to get them over the hump against Orlando, but their offense wasn't potent enough against the Cavs.
The easiest way to fix that is through more shooting. The Isaiah Joe-Duncan Robinson pairing accomplishes that. It gives Cunningham more weapons and more space to work with.
Thompson will have to carry a big defensive load in this lineup, having to guard the opposing team's best player regarding of their position. This will require him to guard power forwards a lot of the time. While that wasn't something the Pistons were willing to do last season, it has to happen increasingly more so that Detroit can put more offense around him.
There is enough offense in this lineup. Whether there is enough defense will depend on Jalen Duren's performance. If he can continue to improve on that end, especially protecting the rim and rebounding the ball, the Pistons could be elite on both ends of the floor with this five-man unit.
Bickerstaff has to find ways to get more offense on the floor. The Pistons' identity will always be defensive intensity, but to become a true championship contender, Detroit needs to be a more dangerous team offensively. This lineup accomplishes that. How much Bickerstaff uses it, however, remains to be seen.
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