The Detroit Pistons just had their worst game of the season on Saturday night against the Miami Heat. Not only was the 20-point loss their largest margin of defeat this season, but their 132.7 defensive rating was also their worst showing of the season.
This was a continuation of a disturbing trend. The Pistons had three of their worst defensive ratings in the last four games. They gave up a 127.4 offensive rating to a Luka Doncic-less Lakers, a 120.7 offensive rating to a bad Wizards team, and 132.7 to the Heat last night.
The main reason for these struggles is Detroit's weak interior defense. They are getting overwhelmed physically in the paint. Yesterday, the Heat shot a whopping 24/33 (72.7%) around the rim. The game before, the Wizards shot 90% around the rim. For the season, the opponents are shooting 67.3% around the rim against the Pistons, per Cleaning the Glass. This mark was 62.8% last season.
This problem shows its head in the rebounding numbers as well. The Pistons are one of the worst rebounding teams in the league. They give up a 32.5% offensive rebound rate to opponents, the sixth-highest number in the NBA.
As a result, the Pistons are no longer the best defensive team in the league. In fact, they have fallen all the way to sixth in defensive rating.
Pistons' defense is no longer a strength
If anything, this overstates how good they have been. Not only have they had a relatively easy schedule over the last two weeks, but they have also benefited from shooting luck. Teams are shooting 33.3% from downtown against them, the third-worst percentage in the league. If that progresses to the mean, the Pistons' defensive numbers will look even worse.
Some of these problems will be solved once Jalen Duren is back. Not because he is some elite defender, but because he is a big man who knows how to play physically. John Collins and Paul Reed are simply not big or strong enough.
But the Pistons can't solely rely on Duren to fix things. Their frontcourt rotation leaves plenty to be desired. Collins was horrendous defensively once again against Miami. If the Pistons are counting on him to play center for long stretches of the season, they can wave hopes of being one of the best defensive teams in the league goodbye.
Isaiah Stewart is a big loss. The Pistons haven't replaced him properly. They have elite perimeter defenders, but the key to an elite defense is the big men. Unless the Pistons add a defensive difference-maker into the mix between now and the trade deadline, these defensive concerns will persist.
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