The Detroit Pistons are still searching for their first regular-season victory after coming up short against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Friday night’s contest resulted in a 113-101 final score in Detroit’s first road game of the season dropping them to 0-2. It was also the first return to Cleveland for head coach JB Bickerstaff after he was dismissed from the Cavaliers after 2023-24.
Plenty of fight was on display by the Pistons but they still show many signs of a young team. They lost the lead midway through the second quarter and never regained control. There were numerous opportunities for improved play but there were lots of glaring issues Detroit needs to resolve as soon as possible.
Too many turnovers
One of the biggest problems for Detroit was their inability to take care of the basketball. The Cavaliers forced the Pistons into 22 turnovers with their aggressive defensive effort. Cleveland gathered 13 steals against Detroit and did a stellar job of protecting the rim with elite frontcourt defense.
Point guard Cade Cunningham led all scorers with 33 points but matched his career-high in turnovers with nine. He had some sloppy possessions with his passing and struggled to adjust to the Cavaliers’ pressure.
Even when facing one of the league’s best defensive teams in Cleveland, Detroit needs to be more disciplined with managing offensive possessions. Bickerstaff addressed the difficulty of overcoming 22 turnovers against a dangerous team like the Cavaliers in the postgame presser. Better discipline can come with more reps together but it must improve as soon as possible to build a winning foundation.
Lack of frontcourt production
Lots of the heavy lifting for the Pistons was done by their starting backcourt of Cunningham and Jaden Ivey. Detroit’s starting shooting guard had 22 points to total 55 between the duo. They could have used a more active night from their frontcourt in assistance but that did not happen.
The starting trio of Jalen Duren, Tobias Harris, and Tim Hardaway Jr. only added a total of 24 points. The reserves scored 22 points of their own but 13 of those came from veteran Malik Beasley. Forward Simone Fontecchio provided five points off the bench and had scoreless nights courtesy of Isaiah Stewart and Paul Reed.
Duren and Stewart also struggled defensively as they both were plagued by foul trouble with five each. Detroit’s rim protection relies heavily on the play of their two centers. They cannot allow teams to score at will against them like the Cavs who shot 51.2% as a team.
The Pistons have to be able to rely on the help of their frontcourt to aid Cunningham and Ivey. They kept Detroit close in the contest but needed a lot more to defeat the Cavaliers.
Pistons must temper emotions
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Another problem for the Pistons down the stretch was the emotional tides through the game. Detroit struggled with foul trouble between four different players and even took issue with the officiating.
Cunningham was hit with a technical foul at the end of the third quarter. He thought he was hit on the arm on a layup as the clock expired. The officials disagreed with his claim and assessed a technical foul as he argued for the call.
Rookie Ron Holland also turned the emotion high late in the second half. While dribbling the ball up the court, he was tangled up with Georges Niang, who shoved him off before crossing halfcourt. The officials whistled a technical foul against the rookie to settle the emotion.
The Pistons need to be able to manage their frustration as they learn what it takes to win tough games. Their struggle to establish respect with the officials will not come easy until they show proper discipline and win close matchups. Friday night’s emotion was a tough task on the road against a playoff-caliber team like Cleveland.