The Detroit Pistons came back down to earth with an embarrassing blowout loss at home to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night. The Cavs are one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference, but are severely short-handed without Darius Garland and Max Strus, and were coming to Detroit on the second night of a back-to-back. Yet, they still had more energy on both ends of the floor to win comfortably.
Where the Pistons lost the game was once again on the offensive end. There is simply enough shot creation and shooting on the team to score consistently against the league's best defenses.
Detroit has its own injury concerns, especially in the backcourt, with Jaden Ivey, Marcus Sasser, and Caris LeVert all missing the game. They desperately need LeVert to get back on the court to give them an offensive boost, or else things won't improve soon.
Pistons Desperately Need Caris LeVert to Return from Injury
LeVert suited up for the Pistons in the season opener, but immediately suffered a hamstring injury that kept him out of the past three games. The 31-year-old shooting guard had signed a two-year, $29 million deal with the Pistons in the offseason and was expected to play a big role off the bench. After the injury to Ivey, however, LeVert's importance to the team has multiplied. Once the veteran returns to action, he will be entrusted with a significant offensive load.
The Pistons score the fourth-fewest points per 100 possessions, and have the second-worst efficiency (52.8% True Shooting) in the NBA as of Tuesday afternoon. The offense struggles to create good shots in the half-court as it overly relies on Cade Cunningham to score and make plays without adequate spacing.
LeVert can be the second-best on-ball creator on the Pistons after Cunningham. He can run some pick-and-roll, attack the rim off of closeouts, and be a connector with his passing. He is also an improved shooter, having made 36.3% of his threes in his four seasons in Cleveland. LeVert at least needs to be guarded on the perimeter, unlike some of the other perimeter players the Pistons have been giving minutes to.
This is not the start Pistons fans had envisioned for their top offseason acquisition. Just when the team has needed him the most, LeVert has been unavailable. This puts extra pressure on him as he will be tasked with turning the offense around. Let's hope that he can thrive under that pressure.