DETROIT — The Detroit Pistons knew they were getting a veteran, a sharpshooter and player who can affect winning when they brought guard Duncan Robinson to the roster in a sign-and-trade with the Miami Heat during the offseason.
But even coach J.B. Bickerstaff didn’t know they were going to get more than what they expected with the eight-year veteran.
“There was so much more that you get to see when you’re with him every single day,” Bickerstaff said Monday. “How he impacts your offense, his ability to execute your defensive system, the weight that he carries by just being on the floor and the gravity that he holds when he’s on the run…There’s so many of the little things that he does that impact winning and he’s reliable and dependable, those are two most important things.”
Dependable is probably the main word that comes to mind for Robinson through his early tenure in Detroit as he’s the only constant in the starting lineup through the first 14 games.
Despite the lineup constantly changing around him due to injury availability, Robinson continues to provide quality play for the Pistons.
The last few seasons Robinson has fluctuated between starting and coming off the bench, but as he’s served as a starter for Detroit, it’s also shown just how much of a weapon the former Michigan standout can be on the defensive end.
The Pistons are a defense-first team under Bickerstaff and have the stats to prove it, sitting second in the league in defensive rating, steals and blocks.
That stellar play is rubbing off on Robinson who is coming off a stretch of six games where he registered 11 steals, the most he’s ever had in a six-game run in his career.
“I just try to play to my strengths,” Robinson said. “It makes it so much easier when I know I got guys behind me protecting the paint and the rim. It lets me be a little bit more aggressive. I just try to be reliable being in the right spots.”
Robinson didn’t become a lockdown defender all of a sudden, but joining the Pistons and getting to focus in on his positioning is leading to good things for the team.
Defense has been the area of Robinson’s game to receive the most criticism over the years. The Pistons aren’t seeing that as a weakness during their 10-game winning streak where Robinson is averaging 14.1 points, 2.3 assists, 1.1 steals and turning the ball over less than once per game.
“A lot of people try to attack him or have questions about him, but I give (Duncan) his respect because he tries his best on that end of the ball and he still makes plays for us,” Pistons forward and defensive leader Isaiah Stewart said. “Whether, it’s a charge, it’s a steal, even sometimes he makes a block or two. He’s such a smart basketball player and very intelligent.”
Robinson’s on pace for 70 steals this season, which would absolutely blow out his career high of 46 from 2023-24.
He’s kept his hands active despite being one of the least foul-prone players on a Pistons team that ranks 29th in personal fouls per game this season.
And Robinson hasn’t been afraid to get physical and put his body on the line trying to draw a charge. He’s the only Pistons player to draw more than one charge this season, earning his second of the season in Detroit’s win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday.
Defense isn’t a one-man show in Detroit.
Players like Stewart will go out and get three blocks in 30 seconds to shift the momentum of a game, but it comes down to the unit working together to set up someone to make plays.
“Everybody wants to get stops. If you want to play defense, it’s an effort thing and we’re all putting forth the effort. Obviously, we got guys who are, I think, some of the best defenders in the league,” center Jalen Duren said. “With the mindset being defense first and (Bickerstaff’s) game plan, I think it’s all going the right way.”
Robinson exemplifies that perfectly. He’s been thrown into the fire with the Pistons, becoming one of their most-reliable players early on in the season and shown a lot of growth in his defensive game.
There’s still plenty more season to go, but with the Pistons atop the Eastern Conference in mid-November, getting more than expected out of signings like Robinson is a major reason they’ve made it to this point.
“I think we got everything we need. We’re just building strong confidence,” Robinson said. “It’s fun to see guys step up. It’s been a fun run.”
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