Welcome to the start of our 2022-23 previews for every NBA team! These breakdowns are designed to look at stats, film & anything I found interesting in my preparation for the upcoming NBA season.
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Rockets | Magic | Thunder | Pistons | Pacers | Trailblazers | Spurs | Wizards | Knicks Hawks | Clippers | Timberwolves | Cavs | Bulls | Raptors | 76ers | Nuggets | Bucks | Nets | Heat | Warriors | Suns | Celtics | Grizzlies
Note: if you are reading this in the e-mail-only form some of the gifs and videos do not always show up correctly. All stats taken from Cleaning the Glass.
Stats
Net Rating: -8.0 (26th)
Offense: 106.2 (28th)
Good
Although the Pistons were a pretty awful team offensively, they did rebound the ball at an above-average rate ranking 13th in the NBA rebounding back 26% of their misses.
Ok
They ranked 6th in the NBA in Loc eFG%, which means if they shot league average shooting they would have shot 54.5% instead of 49.7% - last in the league.
Ugly
When you are the worst shooting team in the league, your offense is going to suffer. Detroit ranked dead last in eFG%, even though the shots they took were ideal for an NBA team’s shot profile.
Defense: 114.2 (23rd)
Good
When you do not have a great defensive team or individual defenders, forcing turnovers is a good way to try and create offense and steal possessions from the other team. Detroit ranked 8th in the league this past season, forcing turnovers 14.6% of the time.
Bad
Ranking 21st in defensive eFG%, Detroit has some positives for defending shots - although this can be a weird defensive stat.
Ugly
If you are going to force turnovers, then you are going to foul more than other teams - it is just a natural thing that occurs in aggressive defensive schemes. In general, teams that play aggressive typically rank in the teens for defensive FT Rate, so Detroit ranking last in the league is still not the best.
Film
Pitch Knicks
A common ballscreen action that started with Hoiberg coming from Iowa State to the NBA, this pitch series starts off with the point guard flipping to a trailer and then the trailer pitching to the wing.
This then flows into a pass back to the point guard into a spread ballscreen. Running this initial movement creates slight confusion for the defense to who the tagging player is and the guard catching without a dribble can use either side.
More on “Pitch”
Fred Hoiberg Series | OKC Pitch | Ohio St Pitch Knicks | Creighton Back Counter
Wide Reject Spain
Starting off with a “Wide” screen, this is designed to intentionally reject and fake this action to start.
The player who rejected the initial screen then becomes the backscreener in Spain action.
SOB STS Spain
Taking a page out of the Raptors & Nick Nurse, as well as the Knicks - the Pistons run this Spain counter out of sideline out of bounds. Starting off as normal screen the screener action this flows into the player who comes off the initial backscreen becomes the backscreener in Spain action.
Ghosts
Just like the Oklahoma City Thunder, Detroit runs ghost screens to create confusion for the defenders. This allows for two things to create - a pick and pop 3-point shot.
Also, creates driving lanes downhill for scores.
Flip Spread (ATO)
Detroit runs this sets after time out, similar to chin action with a player setting an initial screen on the wing and then the point guard coming off a backscreen. The first option is looking for that backscreen.
After the backscreen the big then sets a ballscreen, with his defender sagging when defending the backscreen like the example below.
Strong Boston Dribble (ATO)
Another example of Detroit using action before going into a spread ballscreen, after the Strong Boston action the player at the final part flips it back to the point guard to attack off a ballscreen. The player who flips it then exchanges on the opposite side of the floor taking away some of the help defense.
Fist 52 (ATO)
With one side of the floor empty, a big screens for a guard (similar to Ram action) flows into a double ballscreen. This creates shake action with the big rolling to the rim and the guard spacing to the 3-point line - with this action forcing the player who initially guarded a ballscreen then pick between the two options.
More on Fist 52
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Note: if you are reading this in the e-mail-only form some of the gifs and videos do not always show up correctly.
Outwork Yesterday.
Coach Pyper
Could you just remind me of the principles of 'Boston' action?