The Detroit Pistons are unexpectedly behind in their first-round series against the Orlando Magic. After entering the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Pistons have not looked the part through the first three games. Detroit still has a decent chance of coming back and advancing, as the deeper, more talented team, but Detroit certainly is not looking like a title contender right now.
The biggest reason for the team's struggles has been their horrible offensive production. The Pistons have scored 102.9 points per 100 possessions, thus far, making them the worst offense in the playoffs. Cade Cunningham has to carry a massive load with very limited spacing around him, making things very difficult in the halfcourt.
The frustrating part is that this is hardly surprising. Anyone who has watched a minute of Pistons basketball this season knew that the lack of offensive juice and shooting would be this team's Achilles heel. Yet, the front office refused to address it at the trade deadline.
Pistons Front Office Deserves Blame for Detroit's Playoff Struggles
The Pistons let the trade deadline pass with only one move: trading Jaden Ivey for Kevin Huerter. That has proven to be a good decision, largely because of what transpired with Ivey, rather than anything Huerter has provided. After the first week of the playoffs, it has become painfully obvious that the Pistons needed more offensive firepower.
It's not like there weren't clear upgrades on the market. The Minnesota Timberwolves acquired Ayo Dosunmu from the Chicago Bulls for four second-round picks. He essentially won Minnesota back-to-back playoff games against the Nuggets, averaging 34 points in two games.
Similarly, Coby White was acquired by the Charlotte Hornets at the deadline for Collin Sexton, Ousmane Dieng, and a pair of 2031 second-round picks. He ultimately helped the Hornets make an admirable late run to the postseason.
If either of these players were wearing a Pistons uniform right now, Detroit would be in a much different place in their series against the Magic.
Instead, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff continues to push all the buttons on his controller to find enough offense. Ron Holland is completely out of the rotation, Marcus Sasser hasn't sniffed the court, and Caris LeVert is averaging seven minutes per game. A sharpshooter who could space the floor and create shots for himself and others, instead of any of these players, would have significantly helped the Pistons.
Detroit is shooting 30 percent from downtown through three games against the Magic. They are making nine 3-pointers per game, by far the lowest average in the entire playoffs. They also turn the ball over 17.7 times per game, the second-highest rate among playoff teams. Needless to say, that isn't a winning combination.
The Pistons could certainly still turn things around, but the playoffs are not off to a good start. If they are upset by Orlando in the first round, the front office deserves all the criticism in the world for choosing the status quo at the trade deadline.
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