The Detroit Pistons had a second consecutive win over an East contender as they took care of business in Miami. After leading the entire game, the Pistons defeated the Heat, 128-111, to improve to 2-0.
Whenever you have a blowout win against a good team, there will, of course, be solid individual performances. First, let's highlight these before discussing an individual performance that left some to be desired.
Stud: John Collins
This was the performance Pistons fans were hoping for when they signed Collins to replace Tobias Harris. The front office clearly considered Collins to be an upgrade over the veteran forward. The preseason and the season opener raised some questions about this decision, but the 29-year-old forward was excellent on Friday.
Collins finished with 23 points on 9/15 shooting in 29 minutes. Most importantly, he was 5/6 from three. His first-quarter shooting allowed the Pistons to get off to a strong start. They never let go of the lead they built. The Pistons were +15 in the minutes Collins was on the floor. His shooting and floor spacing, along with his rim-running, will be very important for Detroit to continue its offensive production.
Stud: Duncan Robinson
Robinson is off to a red-hot start. He is 10/19 from three through the first two games. Going up against his former team in Miami, Robinson wanted to send a strong message right away. He was aggressive offensively, going 5/10 from downtown in only 27 minutes. He was a team-high +22.
The veteran sharpshooter is one of the most important members of this team. He is the best shooter on the team, and his off-ball gravity is absolutely necessary for the Pistons to have enough space to operate. It's great to see that he hasn't missed a beat in his age-32 season.
Stud: Paul Reed
What a luxury it is to have a backup center like Paul Reed. After Jalen Duren exited the game with a hamstring injury in the second quarter, the Pistons didn't suffer much. Reed stepped up seamlessly like the countless times he has done since joining Detroit.
In addition to his usual work rebounding the ball and protecting the rim, Reed hit two threes on his way to 19 points on 8/11 shooting from the field. If Duren misses time, the Pistons can still feel good about their quality of play at center thanks to Reed.
Dud: Kevin Huerter
Huerter continues to get chances as he seemingly has JB Bickerstaff's trust. However, at some point, he is going to have to start making shots.
Despite his reputation as a shooter, Huerter hasn't made shots since arriving in Detroit at last year's deadline. That trend has continued this season. After going 1/5 from three against Miami, Huerter is now 2/9 from downtown over two games.
It's not like Huerter provides value in other aspects of the game.
Yes, he is a fine passer and an off-ball mover. He is a smart offensive player. But defensively, he is a liability. He had six personal fouls in 20 minutes against the Heat. The Pistons had a 115.6 defensive rating with Huerter on the floor, the worst mark for any rotation player on Friday.
Add us as a preferred source on Google