The Detroit Pistons picked up where they left off last season, showing a lot of fight and playing harder than their opponent. Despite being behind for most of the game, the Pistons never gave up and secured an impressive 121-113 win over the Boston Celtics.
There were plenty of positives from the game, including Jalen Duren's solid play, Javonte Green's emergence, and Duncan Robinson shooting the lights out. But there were also plenty of disappointments. Let's take a look at players who must improve going forward.
Ron Holland
Entering his third season in the league, Holland was supposed to prove himself to be a solid rotation player for this team and a long-term member of this core. Instead, he played less than three minutes in his season debut after frustrating JB Bickerstaff with his mistakes.
The Pistons have one of the deepest rosters in the league. Javonte Green, Isaiah Joe, and Daniss Jenkins would all love to play more. Ebuka Okorie, Chaz Lanier, and Taurean Prince, who didn't even play on Tuesday, would love to get the opportunity Holland is getting.
Amid this crowded perimeter rotation, Holland has to give the Pistons a reason to play him. In the season opener, he did the opposite.
Kevin Huerter
Huerter was +5 in his 18 minutes of action on Tuesday, but that had little to do with what he was doing on the court. He just benefited from the fact that he was on the floor with Duncan Robinson and Javonte Green when they were raining down threes in the second half.
Defensively, Huerter was a point of failure. He struggled to stay in front of opposing players. Offensively, he didn't do enough to compensate for his defensive shortcomings. He was 1/4 from the field, all from downtown, and finished the game with three points.
Huerter kept the ball moving, and he still has some off-ball gravity. But unless he starts making shots soon, it will be hard to justify playing him over the likes of Daniss Jenkins, Isaiah Joe, or even Ebuka Okorie.
John Collins
Detroit's defense struggled at times against the Celtics, and Collins was a big reason why. He made quite a few mistakes that will not be tolerated by JB Bickerstaff's elite defensive unit. He had a very nice block and was solid on the boards, but his individual defense left plenty to be desired.
Offensively, he wasn't effective, either. He was 3/7 from the field, missed all three of his threes, and finished with six points. He was a willing passer and found Duren for a solid assist in the second half, but this isn't what the Pistons were hoping to get when they signed him. Collins was a team-worst -13 in 25 minutes.
Collins was supposed to be an upgrade over Tobias Harris. In Game 1 of the season, that was certainly not the case. He ended up not closing the game. If that continues to be the case, the Pistons may regret choosing him over Harris.
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