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Pistons Notes: Thompson, Cunningham, Stewart, Defense

October 12th, 2025 at 6:05pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Pistons, coming off last season’s unexpected run to the playoffs, are still working to iron out their formula around star point guard Cade Cunningham. One idea they’ve pushed in the preseason, according to Hunter Patterson of The Athletic, is giving third-year wing Ausar Thompson more primary ball-handling duties.

While Thompson’s ball-in-hand role last season was mostly limited to fastbreaks and dunks off drop-offs, the Pistons are expanding his role in the lead-up to this season to see how he handles it, Patterson writes.

“That’s something we’re going to do more of,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “The tempo that [Thompson] plays at when he has the ball in his hands, and the threat that he becomes when he has the ball in his hands changes the way that teams have to guard him. He has the ability to make his teammates better.”

Patterson points to Thompson’s ability to change speeds and use both his strength and quick-twitch athleticism to get to the rim or beat defenders as key reasons why giving him the ball more is intriguing. Bickerstaff is also interested in exploring different ways to free up Cunningham off-ball to get him easier looks.

“Teams decide they want to pick Cade up full court, and sometimes because of the gravity he holds, people just hug up on him,” Bickerstaff said. “Now his defender has to play off a screen or off a shift, and it just makes him a better offensive player when people can’t get their hands on him to wrestle and hold him.”

While Thompson still has to tighten his handle, the team has seen encouraging signs.

“Ausar is a guy who can initiate offense at a high level,” Cunningham said. “Giving him room to get more and more comfortable with it as the preseason goes along, I think that’ll be a big weapon for us.”

We have more notes from the Pistons:

Cunningham had a breakout year last season, earning his first All-Star nod in addition to making the All-NBA third team and placing seventh in MVP voting. According to Patterson, Cunningham’s is looking for new ways this preseason to take his game to another level. While he wasn’t always willing to shoot off the dribble from behind the arc during Detroit’s playoff series against the Knicks last spring, there has been no hesitation in the preseason. “I want to shoot more threes, the highest quality possible,” he said. “I’m confident, I feel good about my game right now.” Cunningham ranked 27th in threes attempted off the dribble last season and 11th in the playoffs and struggled with his percentages on those shots, hitting them at a 33.8% and 16.0% clip, respectively — the latter percentages was the worst among players attempting at least four such shots a game. Turning the pull-up shot into a real weapon could bear huge dividends for the Pistons’ offensive attack moving forward.
Isaiah Stewart is another Piston who understands the team’s need for three-point shooting, Patterson writes. After attempting 380 total threes in the 2022/23 and ’23/24 seasons, he had just 53 tries last year, hitting 32.1%. Patterson notes that both Stewart and Bickerstaff have spoken this offseason about getting that volume back up. While he has only attempted three threes over the first two games of preseason, Stewart has made two of them. Given the Pistons’ lack of shooting, especially at the big man positions, his willingness to let fly from deep could provide a different wrinkle to their offense.
On the other end of the floor, Patterson notes that Bickerstaff had previously mentioned being interested in experimenting with zone defense due to the number of athletes with impressive wingspans on the team. “We have found some zones that we like. It comes down to the time to implement the zones so you can get good at them,” Bickerstaff said last week. That idea bore out on Thursday’s matchup against the Bucks, when the Pistons alternated between playing man-to-man and employing a 1-3-1 zone. Patterson writes that the Bucks seemed undeterred by Detroit’s zone efforts. Whether this is just preseason experimentation or a weapon Bickerstaff hopes to unleash during the regular season remains to be seen.

Pistons Notes: Extensions, Offseason Moves, Holland, Thompson, Stewart, Ivey

September 29th, 2025 at 11:32am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons have until the end of training camp to reach rookie scale extensions with two key players, guard Jaden Ivey and center Jalen Duren. President of basketball operations Trajan Langdon didn’t tip his hand during Monday’s media day regarding those talks, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press tweets.

“We’re excited they’re both members of the Pistons,” Langdon said. “They will have huge roles … whether or not we get deals done, I don’t know if that happens.”

If they don’t sign extensions, Ivey and Duren will be restricted free agents next summer.

Here’s more on the Pistons:

Other than the sign-and-trade for Duncan Robinson and the signing of free agent Caris LeVert, the Pistons didn’t make any major moves. Langdon made some calls this offseason but ultimately wanted to see what they have with their young core, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic tweets.
Ron Holland appeared in 81 regular season games last season, averaging 15.6 minutes in those contests. He could see even more playing time this season, as coach J.B. Bickerstaff was impressed with the work Holland put in this offseason, Patterson tweets.
While Ivey and franchise player Cade Cunningham will often have the ball in their hands, Ausar Thompson could initiate the offense more this season. “Ausar with the ball in his hands, he’s a nightmare,” Bickerstaff said, per Sankofa (Twitter link). “We look at how can we get the ball in his hands more, especially in the open floor.”
Isaiah Stewart was only able to play in Game 1 of their first-round series against the Knicks due to right knee inflammation. He believes he could have made a big difference. “It was frustrating, definitely frustrating. I felt if I played, the series would have turned out different and (we) would have been able to advance,” he said, per Sankofa (video link). Had the series gone to a seventh game, he would have tried to play.
As for this season, Stewart plans to take more shots from beyond the arc. He attempted 175 three-pointers in 2023/24 but only 53 last season. “Two seasons ago I shot almost 40% from the three,” he said, per Sankofa (Twitter link). “It’s a weapon, especially when we play certain teams and different coverages. I look forward to bringing that back.”
Are there any players on the roster who could work their way into the All-Star conversation besides Cunningham? Ivey and Thompson are the two players to watch, given that Ivey could have a bigger offensive role and Thompson contributes in so many ways, Sankofa opines.

Langdon: Pistons Unlikely To Be ‘Super Aggressive’ This Offseason

June 24th, 2025 at 3:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking on Tuesday to reporters, including Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter links), Pistons general manager Trajan Langdon said he doesn’t anticipate that the team will do anything too drastic in free agency or on the trade market this summer after improving its record by 30 wins in 2024/25.

The second-year GM suggested the Pistons are more likely to focus on retaining their own free agents and making some tweaks around the edges of the roster rather than taking a big swing.

“We’re not going to be super aggressive this summer, I don’t think,” Langdon said. “I don’t foresee any of that. It’s just developing from within and hopefully keep the guys we brought in last year.”

According to Langdon, the uncertainty in the Eastern Conference – where three of the top five finishers from this past season will have a star player miss most or all of 2025/26 due to a torn Achilles – has “provoked thought” about Detroit’s ability to take another step forward, but hasn’t altered the team’s plans.

“I don’t think we want to be locked in and push our chips in,” Langdon said, per Sankofa (Twitter link). “… We want to keep that optionality … I think we will see growth from this year to next year and that’s what’s important for us.”

Here are a few more highlights from Langdon’s press conference:

Specifically addressing their trio of veteran free agents – Malik Beasley, Dennis Schröder, and Tim Hardaway Jr. – Langdon said the Pistons want to re-sign all three players but won’t be able to fully control the situation, since they’ll be unrestricted FAs (Twitter link via Sankofa). “We have stated that we’re interested and they’re interested in us,” Langdon said, “but agents have to do their job and survey the market and see what’s there, and hopefully we can see those guys back.”
Jaden Ivey (left leg) and Isaiah Stewart (right knee) wouldn’t necessarily be a “full go” if the Pistons were playing a game today, but both players will be ready for training camp, Langdon confirmed (Twitter link via Sankofa).
Langdon declined to get into specifics when asked about Ivey and Jalen Duren being eligible for rookie scale extensions this offseason, but said the Pistons “value” both players (Twitter link via Sankofa): “Hopefully we can have conversations about (extensions) and if we don’t (extend them), they’ll play the year out and we’ll see from there.”
Perhaps inspired by seeing his twin brother Amen Thompson earn first-place Defensive Player of the Year votes and claim a spot on the All-Defensive first team, Pistons wing Ausar Thompson has similar aspirations, according to Langdon (Twitter link via Sankofa). “He’s been working his butt off,” the GM said of Ausar, who missed the start of last season while recovering from a blood clot. “He’s been here, been back home, he’s been in the gym. The thing he wants to do at some point is be Defensive Player of the Year. He’s working on his strength, which he couldn’t do last year.”
The Pistons intend to draft the best available with their No. 37 overall pick, according to Langdon (Twitter link via Sankofa), who is optimistic that the team will “find a player we like at that number” despite the fact that NIL opportunities have resulted in fewer early entrants and weakened that section of the draft to some extent.

Barnes, Stewart, Vassell Candidates For Jamaican National Team

June 5th, 2025 at 3:11pm CST by Rory Maher

Raptors forward Scottie Barnes, Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart and Spurs guard/forward Devin Vassell are in discussions to join Jamaica’s men’s basketball team, reports Daniel Blake of The Jamaica Observer (Twitter link).

Clippers wing Norman Powell has already committed to represent Jamaica during the pre-qualifiers for the 2027 FIBA World Cup this summer, as has Timberwolves forward Josh Minott, according to Blake (Twitter link).

Rockets wing Amen Thompson and Pistons wing Ausar Thompson may also represent Jamaica in FIBA competitions and possibly the Summer Olympics. Blake hears the Thompson twins began the process of applying for Jamaican passports last week — their father is from Jamaica.

Blake previously mentioned Suns center Nick Richards, who was born in Kingston, Jamaica, as another candidate to join the national team.

If Jamaica is able to secure the commitments of all the aforementioned NBA players, the country would become a formidable opponent in international competitions. Former Rookie of the Year and All-Star Barnes is the most accomplished of the group, and all but Minott have established themselves as at least solid rotation players in the NBA.

International Notes: Thompson Twins, Micic, Brown, McCollum

May 25th, 2025 at 2:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson may represent Jamaica in FIBA competitions and possibly the Summer Olympics, according to Daniel Blake of The Jamaica Observer (Twitter link). Blake states that they have begun the process of applying for citizenship, which they’re eligible to do because their father, Troy, is from Jamaica.

Amen, a first-team All-Defensive selection, became a full-time starter for the Rockets midway through the season and gained a reputation as one of the NBA’s most versatile and athletic players. Ausar overcame a health issue that cut short his rookie year and solidified a starting spot with a Pistons team that produced one of the largest single-season improvements in NBA history.

Blake adds (via Twitter) that Jamaica is making a serious upgrade to its basketball program, with Clippers guard Norman Powell already committed to playing in pre-qualifiers for the 2027 FIBA World Cup this summer. Blake states that other targets include Suns center Nick Richards, Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart and Timberwolves forward Josh Minott.

There’s more international news to pass along:

Olympiacos in Greece is expressing interest in Suns point guard Vasilije Micic, per Kevin Martorano of Sportando. Phoenix holds an $8.1MM team option on Micic for next season, but that’s unlikely to be exercised because he only got into five games after being acquired from Charlotte at the trade deadline.
Former NBA guard Lorenzo Brown may be looking to change teams next season with T.J. Shorts expected to join Panathinaikos, writes Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews. Brown was disappointed with his role in his first season with the Greek powerhouse and wants to find a spot where he can play regularly. “I think I’ve proven myself in this league a bunch of times,” he said. “I just want to play, man, and finish strong. I’ll be 35 in August, but I still have a lot of game left. I can still dunk, still windmill—whatever you need me to do. I just want to play and compete. I think I was a little out of the loop this year. It was a little weird. My brothers fought for me all year. That brotherhood—that’s what matters most.”
Errick McCollum, currently with Fenerbahce in Turkey, told Antonis Stroggylakis of Eurohoops that he received NBA offers earlier in his career, but he opted for the security of playing overseas. The 37-year-old point guard is the older brother of the Pelicans’ CJ McCollum. “I had some opportunities. But the role wasn’t right,” he said. “Sometimes it was third point guard. Not many minutes, minimum contract. It just wasn’t right in my career. For other people, it may be good. But I’m a guy who wants to play. I want to have an impact. Be out there on the court making a difference.”

Pistons Notes: Thompson, Confidence, Cunningham, Stewart

April 30th, 2025 at 10:53am CST by Dana Gauruder

Blood clotting issues ended Ausar Thompson‘s rookie season and delayed his sophomore campaign. However, the second-year wing emerged as a starter this season and played an integral role in the Pistons‘ 106-103 Game 5 victory over the Knicks on Tuesday. Thompson supplied 22 points, including a key late bucket, along with seven rebounds and two blocks as the Pistons staved off elimination.

Thompson was also the primary defender on Jalen Brunson, who was limited to 4-for-16 shooting and seven assists, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press notes.

“We did a great job of getting to our spots and executing the stuff we knew we could get to that created an advantage for us,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “It all started with Ausar and his defense. He was phenomenal defensively tonight. Offensively obviously he came up with 22 points, but I think it started with his defense and a lot of credit should be given to him.”

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Many people thought Detroit couldn’t recover from a controversial Game 4 loss in which the team blew a double-digit fourth-quarter lead and was victimized by an official’s no-call in the closing seconds. The Pistons came to Madison Square Garden more determined than ever, Bickerstaff said. “I’m not surprised,” he said, per Pistons.com’s Keith Langlois. “This is what they’ve always shown to be and this is what we expected from them tonight.”
Did Cade Cunningham offer a veiled guarantee of a Game 6 home victory on Thursday night? According to Jared Schwartz of the New York Post, Cunningham declared the series would return to New York for Game 7. “We’ll be back,” he said. Cunningham said the team thrives in hostile environments. Both of its wins in the series have come on the road. “It’s everything you dream of. Playing with a full arena, a bunch of people booing you, that’s everything you dream of,” he said.
The Pistons have been able to keep the Knicks under control despite the absence of their interior defensive stopper. Isaiah Stewart missed his fourth consecutive game due to right knee inflammation, as Sankofa relays. The Pistons have used Paul Reed off the bench in his absence with Jalen Duren getting the bulk of the minutes when he’s been able to avoid foul trouble.

Pistons Notes: Schröder, Beasley, Stewart, Ivey, Game 3

April 27th, 2025 at 10:59am CST by Rory Maher

Veteran guard Dennis Schröder struggled with his shot after the Pistons traded for him in February, averaging 10.8 points on .378/.302/.833 shooting in 28 regular season games (25.2 minutes per contest).

However, as Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press writes, the 31-year-old has played a critical role for the Pistons in the playoffs, making timely shots and serving as a secondary ball-handler alongside All-Star Cade Cunningham. Through three playoff games (28.3 MPG), Schröder is averaging 15.3 points, 2.7 assists and 2.3 rebounds on .556/.615/.800 shooting.

“He’s played in so many big games, and when you go back and watch his history, he’s clutch in big games,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after Game 2, when Schröder made the winning basket, securing Detroit’s first playoff victory in 17 years. “We talked about it early on when he got here, he’s just fearless. There’s no moment, there’s no crowd, there’s no noise that’s too big or that’s gonna rattle him. Works his tail off on his game, but a lot of people in that situation don’t have the courage and he’s got the courage to take big shots.”

Schröder will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, Sankofa notes.

Here’s more on the Pistons:

While Schröder has caught fire in the playoffs, the opposite has been true for Malik Beasley, another impending free agent. After averaging 16.3 points and converting 41.6% of his three-point tries in the regular season, the Sixth Man of the Year runner-up has posted 13.7 PPG while shooting 30.0% from long distance thus far in Detroit’s first-round series vs. New York. “I think he’s getting his looks. They just haven’t fallen for him … we know he’s capable of making those shots,” Bickerstaff said of Beasley (Twitter link via Sankofa).
Big man Isaiah Stewart battled through a right knee injury in Game 1 and missed the second and third games of the series. He’ll also be sidelined for Sunday’s Game 4 due to ongoing right knee inflammation, as Hunter Patterson of The Athletic relays (via Twitter).
Although the Pistons technically didn’t rule out Jaden Ivey for the remainder of the postseason when they provided an update on his status last night, Bickerstaff sounded skeptical about the third-year guard’s chances of playing again in ’24/25, per Patterson (Twitter video link). “Our aim will always be to protect our guys,” Bickerstaff said. “This would just be a very difficult situation for a guy to come back into after dealing with the injury. … The more he progresses, we’ll take a look.” Ivey is recovering from a broken fibula in his left leg.
Both the Pistons and Knicks were frustrated by the officiating following a controversial ending to Game 3, writes Chris Herring of ESPN. Detroit was livid that Jalen Brunson wasn’t called for a backcourt violation in the closing seconds, though the NBA supported that non-call, notes Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. The Knicks, meanwhile, were angered that Detroit got possession of the ball after Brunson intentionally missed a free throw with 0.5 seconds left.
Despite finding themselves in a 1-2 hole, the Pistons remained positive after the Game 3 loss, as Patterson writes for The Athletic. “We won’t be deflated,” Bickerstaff said when asked about the mood in the Pistons locker room. “Our guys are too committed to one another. We’re not results-driven. We’ll show up Sunday and we’re going to lay it on the line. We’re going to fight like hell and see what happens.”

Knicks Notes: Game 3 Adjustments, Toughness, Hart, Brunson

April 24th, 2025 at 6:25pm CST by Earnest Marshall

All eyes are on Tom Thibodeau ahead of the Knicks’ Game 3 against the Pistons, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post writes in a subscriber-only story.

New York should theoretically have an advantage as a team that went all-in on its roster last offseason against a less experienced Detroit squad. At the time of writing, the Knicks went on a quick early run to get ahead of Detroit. The series is tied at 1-1 entering Thursday’s game, though the Knicks were a late Mikal Bridges three-point attempt away from tying Game 2.

“If that [Bridges] shot goes in, we’re probably not talking about the other stuff. But that’s playoff basketball,” Thibodeau said. “And then, what do you learn from the game, and how do you reset and get ready for the next one. And I think all that stuff is important. Each game, take what happened in the previous game, study and get ready for the next one.”

As Bondy writes, the Pistons were able to exploit the Knicks with hard screens and box outs in Game 2, and so the onus is on Thibodeau to counter those moves. One suggestion Bondy adds is for Thibodeau to turn to the big pairing of Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson more often. Pistons center Isaiah Stewart is out for Game 3, per The Athletic’s Hunter Patterson (Twitter link), and so going big could help counter Detroit.

We have more from the Knicks:

The Pistons’ run to the playoffs after being the worst team in the league last year is a testament to their grit and strength, Jared Schwartz of the New York Post opines. So far in their first-round series against the Knicks, they’ve out-muscled New York. Detroit’s Tobias Harris implied that the difference in the two teams’ physicality is a core tenet of the team’s playoff game plan, and the Knicks will need to respond appropriately in Game 3.
Josh Hart took accountability for part of what went wrong for the Knicks in Game 2, Bondy tweets. Hart said he needed to stop complaining to the refs as often due to it distracting from the game. “It definitely takes you off your game,” Hart said. “I think controlling it that just comes from within, kind of focusing on controlling what you can control. We can’t control what they’re calling. … We can just control how we respond to it. Last game I responded terribly. I have to make sure I fix that, [Towns] fixes that, and move on from it.“
Star guard Jalen Brunson won the Clutch Player of the Year award on Wednesday after averaging the most clutch points in the league. He spoke on the honor to SNY’s Ian Begley (Twitter link). “It means a lot,” Brunson said. “It’s a credit to us winning close games and my teammates and coaches having my back.”

Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart Ruled Out For Game 2

April 21st, 2025 at 4:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Isaiah Stewart won’t play in Game 2 of the Pistons’ first-round series against the Knicks on Monday night, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post tweets.

Stewart limped off the court during the fourth quarter in Game 1 of the series on Saturday night with a right leg injury. He underwent tests on the leg and was listed on Sunday as questionable for Game 2 due to right knee inflammation.

Despite the fact Stewart is Jalen Duren‘s backup at center, it’s a big blow for Detroit as it tries to even the series before hosting Games 3 and 4. Stewart provides the club with a defensive edge coming off the bench and was expected to play a key role in the series, helping to combat high-scoring big man Karl-Anthony Towns.

Stewart played 19 minutes in Game 1, contributing two points, five rebounds, two blocks and an assist while using up five fouls.

Without him, Duren will have to try his best to stay out of foul trouble and coach J.B. Bickerstaff could also utilize some smaller lineups when Duren is off the court. The other alternative would be for Paul Reed to take some of Stewart’s minutes.

Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart Undergoes Imaging On Leg

April 20th, 2025 at 7:25pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

7:25pm: Stewart is listed as questionable for Game 2 on Monday with right knee inflammation, Steve Popper of Newsday tweets.

2:59pm: After exiting in the fourth quarter of an eventual Game 1 defeat to New York, Pistons forward/center Isaiah Stewart had imaging conducted on his right leg, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).

As Begley notes, Stewart had been struggling through the injury for much of the matinee contest.

The 6’8″ big man, one of Detroit’s toughest frontcourt bench options, adjusted to a reduced role under new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff this season.

Stewart had been a consistent starter throughout each of his last three seasons with lottery-bound Detroit squads. This year, en route to the team’s first playoff appearance since 2019, the Washington alum averaged 6.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.7 APG and 1.4 BPG a night.

In his first playoff game ever, the aforementioned 123-112 New York win in Madison Square Garden on Saturday, Stewart registered two points, five rebounds, two blocks, and one assist across 19 minutes of action. While those numbers don’t jump off the page, he was the only Piston who had a positive plus/minus rating (+8).

The second matchup, slated for Monday, will be another road tilt for Stewart and the Pistons.