Detroit’s return to the playoffs did not last long, as Cleveland narrowly took games 3 and 4, ending the first round series with a sweep.
Game 3
After falling in games 1 and 2, Detroit needed a result in game 3 at home to get back in this series, but it wasn’t to be.
As has been the case all series, Detroit came out early and hung with Cleveland, going into the half down one, 54-53. The Cavs never really put the game out of reach until the end, but were always a step ahead of the Pistons in the second half, leading at the end of the third quarter 79-73. Detroit did go on a small run in the fourth, closing a 9-point Cleveland lead to just one, but back-to-back threes from Kyrie Irving and J.R. Smith gave the Cavs breathing room they would never relinquish.
For the third straight game, Detroit had virtually no answer for Irving, LeBron James, or Kevin Love, as all three scored 20+ points, and Love and James both posted double-doubles.
Cleveland has dominated the boards all series, a major letdown from Detroit, 3rd in the NBA in rebounds per game this season, and Andre Drummond in particular, arguably the best rebounder in the league.
All five of the Pistons’ starters scored in double digits again, but no one had a particular standout performance. Reggie Jackson had 12 assists, but shot a dismal 1-8 from three, tallying only 13 points. Drummond scored 17, but his minutes were sharply reduced due to his abysmal free throw shooting. Drummond shot 1-6 from the line, and Van Gundy barely played him in the fourth.
In the end, the Pistons just didn’t do enough of their own to counter Cleveland’s star power, and found themselves in a 3-0 hole.
Game 4
Needing a win to stay alive, Detroit threw everything they had at Cleveland, but it just wasn’t enough.
The first half was largely a back-and-forth affair, as it has been in every game so far. Detroit held the lead for most of the half, but the Cavs took a one point lead into the half. But where the second half has usually seen Cleveland pull away in this series, the Pistons didn’t let them on Sunday. The Cavaliers extended their lead to 11 midway through the third, but Detroit clawed back into the game, only down three at the end of the third.
The standouts for Detroit were the normally quiet Marcus Morris and Tobias Harris, who chipped in 24 and 23 points, respectively. The team as a whole got back to the strong three point shooting that kept them competitive in game 1, shooting 41.7 percent from downtown.
But it was Kyrie Irving’s night, as he scored 20 of his 31 points in the second half. With under a minute left in the game, and Detroit only down by one, Irving nailed a three pointer from the top to crucially extend their lead to four. And after the Pistons pulled within two and got the ball with 10 seconds left, Irving locked down Reggie Jackson and didn’t let him get a good look, sealing the victory for Cleveland.
The Good
Sure, Detroit was sent packing without a single playoff win. But their postseason performance had to be encouraging for the future. A team whose core is very young, going toe-to-toe with one of the best and most experienced teams shows what they may be capable of in the future. While most of their core players had strong playoff performances, one of the most pleasant surprises was the teenage rookie Stanley Johnson. Johnson was whatever the opposite of afraid is in this series, publicly suggesting LeBron James was afraid of him. He brought a lot of energy and a smooth shooting stroke when he was on the court, and while his minutes were mostly limited in the first three games, Van Gundy rewarded him in game 4 with big minutes, including crunch time at the end of the game. It’s still early, but Johnson and the rest of the young Detroit Pistons gave fans plenty to be excited about going forward.
The Bad
Andre Drummond is the worst free throw shooter in NBA history. While his career is still very young, his 35.5 percent free throw percentage this year is the lowest of all time. Drummond was dominant all season, and got his points and boards in the four playoff games, but his free throw shooting was really a problem in this series. He shot 32.4 percent for the series, and Cleveland took advantage. In game 2, he made only 4 of 16 free throws. In game 3, he only played 27 minutes, as SVG was forced to sit him, even in the fourth, because of how much of a liability his free throw shooting has become. In the final game he shot 5 for 10, a dismal percentage for most players, but actually a markedly improved performance for him. Drummond will likely never be a good free throw shooter, but if Detroit is going to be in the playoffs for multiple years, he will need to find a way to improve if he wants to be on the floor.
Looking Ahead
With the 2015-16 season now behind them, the Detroit Pistons enter an important offseason. The core of this team has largely come together in just the past year, so this offseason should be an opportunity for them to work together more. Players like Morris, Johnson, and Harris were all in their first season in Detroit, so a full offseason with the team should be largely beneficial for them especially. In particular, this team will need to focus on their defensive identity, as Cleveland ran all over them this series. As the Pistons continue to come together and grow from this experience, they should be ready to go further in the playoffs next season.
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