Collins Lights Up Miami as Pistons Cruise Past Heat 128-111

Detroit went into Miami, led from start to finish and left with a 128-111 win over an East contender to move to 2-0. Results like this tell you more than a quiet preseason does. My read is that this group is shooting the ball better than the opening week suggested, with one notable exception.

Collins answers the questions

John Collins was the headline performer. He finished with 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting in 29 minutes, and the number that jumps out is 5-of-6 from three. His first-quarter shooting gave Detroit an early cushion, and the lead never went away after that. The Pistons were +15 with him on the floor, which is the kind of on-off number that shows a player is helping the group, not just filling a box score.

Collins was signed to replace Tobias Harris, and the front office clearly viewed him as an upgrade. The preseason and the season opener left some fans wondering whether that bet was right. Friday's performance is the version of Collins that supporters were hoping for. He's a 29-year-old forward who spaces the floor, and his rim-running gives the offense a second threat whenever defenders close out on the perimeter. When a stretch big is making threes at that rate, defenses have to choose which problem to solve, and that's often where the offense opens up. Detroit's production will depend on that spacing holding up over a full season, not just one good night.

Robinson's start keeps rolling

Duncan Robinson is 10-of-19 from three through two games, and he played with a clear purpose against his former team. He went 5-of-10 from downtown in only 27 minutes and posted a team-high +22. He was aggressive early, and it looked like a player who wanted to make a statement right away.

He's the best shooter on this roster, and his off-ball gravity is what gives the Pistons room to operate. Defenders can't sag off him, which opens lanes for drivers and cutters. It's encouraging to see him carry that form into his age-32 season without any drop-off in rhythm. Teams with a shooter this dangerous usually find that his value shows up in the possessions where he never touches the ball, and that's a hard thing to measure on a box score.

Reed steps in when Duren exits

Jalen Duren left the game with a hamstring injury in the second quarter, and the Pistons didn't lose much ground. Paul Reed stepped in and delivered 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field. He also hit two threes, a bonus to his usual work on the glass and protecting the rim.

Backup centers rarely get the credit they deserve. A team that can absorb a starter's absence without changing its identity has real depth, and that's what Reed gave Detroit on Friday. Any stretch without Duren would be a real test for the rotation, but Reed has shown he can pass it. If the injury keeps Duren sidelined for any length of time, the Pistons can still feel good about their quality at center.

The one that left something to be desired

Kevin Huerter keeps getting chances, and he appears to have the trust of coach JB Bickerstaff. That trust is valuable, but it comes with an obligation to produce, and right now the shots aren't falling. He went 1-of-5 from three against Miami and is 2-of-9 from deep across two games.

The bigger concern is the longer trend. Huerter's reputation is as a shooter, yet the piece on the Pistons notes that he hasn't made many shots since arriving in Detroit at last year's trade deadline, and this season has continued that pattern. Shooters can slump, and a few made threes can change the picture quickly. But when the shot isn't going in, the rest of the game has to carry more weight.

And the rest of his game doesn't do enough to close the gap. Huerter is a fine passer and an off-ball mmover, and he's a smart offensive player. Defensively, though, he's a liability. He picked up six personal fouls in 20 minutes against the Heat, and Detroit posted a 115.6 defensive rating with him on the floor, the worst mark among rotation players on Friday. That's a costly combination for a player who isn't making shots. Until the jumper returns, it's hard to justify the minutes from a defensive standpoint.

What to watch next

The win is the story, and it's a good one. Collins looks like the upgrade the front office believed in, Robinson is playing like a player who knows his role, and Reed showed the bench can handle a center injury. The next few games will show whether Bickerstaff tightens the rotation around the players who are producing. If Huerter's shots don't start falling soon, that question will get louder, and it won't be answered by one strong quarter.