Detroit Pistons confident that offseason camaraderie will translate to better defense

Monte Morris recalled the intense offseason pickup games leading up to his second NBA season with the Denver Nuggets.

He frequently matched up against Jamal Murray. Gary Harris competed with Malik Beasley. Torrey Craig went against Michael Porter Jr. Nikola Jokic and Mason Plumlee battled in the paint.

Morris said based on the quality of competition up and down the roster, it was difficult to tell the starters from the bench players. Until this summer, it was the only team the seven-year NBA veteran and Flint native had been on where players frequently held competitive pick-up games against each other leading into training camp.

Isaiah Livers said the Detroit Pistons had so many players in the gym a month ago that they were able to run pick-up with three teams. That level of offseason participation is rare. And it highlights the camaraderie the team has purposefully built as it looks to put a 17-win season in the rearview, and make postseason noise next April.

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“We had some battles. It was fun,” Morris said of his time with the Nuggets, which won 54 games and made the second round of the playoffs that season. “But it’s just the feeling that I got with (the Pistons), because any day you can come in there and lose four games in pickup, and then you can come in there and win. It’s been up-and-down the whole summer.

“The more we can stay together from what I’ve seen this summer, I think we can have a good restoring and get this team buzzing again.”

Media day took place on Monday for the Pistons, and training camp will kick off on Tuesday. It felt like the first day of school for media members, but many players on Detroit’s roster stuck together throughout the entire offseason. And the team believes the chemistry they’ve developed will pay off during the season, on both sides of the floor.

“The vibe I’ve been getting from this team is that it’s a family thing,” said Marcus Sasser, one of the team's two first-round draft picks. “We do a lot of stuff together. We’ve all got each other’s backs. We push each other every day. I think it’s going to be a good year for us because of the leadership and togetherness we already have in the summer.”

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Cade Cunningham, Isaiah Stewart and others joined their younger teammates in Las Vegas during summer league in July. The team had a big crew in Los Angeles for Rico Hines’ annual basketball runs. Cunningham, Stewart, Jaden Ivey, Alec Burks, Monte Morris, Joe Harris, Ausar Thompson, Marcus Sasser, head coach Monty Williams and others were all spotted in the Rico Hines videos that made rounds on social media in August.

Cunningham and Duren, who represented the Pistons on the Team USA Select Team, hung out together before they made the trip to Vegas. Duren flew down to Dallas to kick it with Cunningham earlier this summer. They participated in open runs together, and that chemistry aided them on the court as the Select Team defeated Team USA in practice.

Williams is happy with what he’s seen and heard thus far.

“We’ll find out more about where we are this week for sure, but I’m certainly pleased with how we work,” he said on Monday. “I walk into the gym every day feeling like we have a gym full of guys working like they’re in a contract year. That’s something that we appreciate as a staff. I certainly appreciate it as a head coach.”

Their offseason camaraderie could pay off on the defensive end. The Pistons had the fourth-worst defensive rating in the NBA — 117.8 — and were frequently disorganized. Part of it was because of youth and inexperience, but players feel as though they should’ve been better. Defense was a frequent topic during media day, and Cunningham believes their togetherness on and off the floor will help them defend with better effort and organization this season.

“Having a connected group is important, where we can have a connected group and hold each other accountable, call out somebody if they’re not doing what they’re supposed to be doing,” he said. “When we have a group that’s connected, it’s a lot easier to have those conversations in the film room or whatever. I think it’ll help us on the court.”

The Pistons were also hobbled, losing 300 total games due to injury last season. According to mangameslost.com, only the Portland Trail Blazers had more with 315.

It’s hard to stay connected when the coaching staff has to make frequent lineup adjustments, and key players are in street clothes. The Pistons have improved depth this season after adding Morris and Harris, and that depth is reflected in the high level of competition during their offseason pickup games.

That competition will spill into training camp. Troy Weaver and Williams both made it clear that every player on the roster will have to earn their minutes. With logjams at guard and center, several players who got consistent playing time last season may have a hard time getting off of the bench this season.

“That’s all we talked about all summer, our camp’s going to be really competitive,” Williams said. “There’s a lot of, in my opinion, opportunities for rotation minutes just because of the way the team is made up. I look forward to that. I look forward to putting guys in environments where they can have a fair shot at competing for minutes.”

Detroit’s lack of discipline last season dripped into their defense, Weaver said. Physically, he believes the team can match up against most teams. Williams has seen Duren make significant strides as a defender. Everyone asked agreed that rookie Ausar Thompson will be a productive defender from Day 1.

Weaver has seen the team develop mentally this offseason. Now, the challenge is sustaining it into the regular season.

“Since I’ve been here, this is the most depth we’ve had,” Weaver said. “Now it’s time to flip that coin and really defend. We aren’t the Pistons until we defend. I talk to all the players, we can’t become the team we want to become until we defend, and coach Williams and his group, they understand that and can’t wait till tomorrow to get started.”

Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him @omarisankofa.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons' offseason camaraderie could pay off big in 2023-24