The 2014-15 Pistons had a rollercoaster season to say the least. It was marked by several substantial points that served to strengthen or weaken the team.
W-L
Part 1: The slow start 5-23
The Pistons really struggled out of the gate, and a large part portion of those issues can be linked to the lack of offensive execution. Detroit shot just 41.3% from the field as a team, 33.0% on three-pointers and 69.4% from the free throw line.
It was not a combination of poor shooting and lack of ball security. In fact, the team ranked in the top 10 in turnover percentage.
Perhaps the biggest culprit was the inability to finish at the rim. The Pistons shot 47.8% inside of 10 feet (last in the league), including a dismal 53.3% inside of 5 feet (last) and 55.0% in the restricted area (last).
In this span, the Pistons ranked last in FG percentage, 23rd in three-point percentage and 29th in free throw percentage. The team’s effective field goal percentage and true shooting percentages were last in the NBA.
Detroit’s offensive rating was third-worst in the NBA (Pacers, 76ers), scoring 97.6 points per 100 possessions. The team’s net rating of -8.2 was 28th in the league.
Part 2: The post-Josh Smith surge (Dec. 22) 12-3
After a Dec. 21 loss, the team had 5 days off and made the decision to waive Josh Smith. The dividends were seen immediately.
The Pistons went 12-3 in their next 15 games, a mark surpassed only the Hawks. That included wins over the Spurs, Mavericks, Cavaliers, Raptors and Nets.
Detroit’s offensive efficiency skyrocketed 11.2% to 108.6 points per 100 possessions. The defense improved by 6.3%. The team’s +9.5 net rating over that span was third in the NBA (Hawks, Warriors).
On the offensive end, the shooting dramatically improved. Detroit went from 30th to 9th in true shooting percentage. This was an effect of the increase in ball movement that led that a 10.8% increase in assist ratio.
The team’s assist/turnover ratio, which was in the middle of the pack (16th) in the early part of the season, improved by 20.4%, to 7th in the league.
Detroit’s rebounding percentage was solidified, and jumped 4.6%. That took the Pistons from a negative margin per game (-0.4) to a positive margin (+3.7).
Surprisingly, opponents shot about the same percentage (45.8% to 45.2%). But, the defense was far more active as Detroit’s steals percentage jumped 33.3%! That took the Pistons from 21st into the top 5.
Part 3: The Brandon Jennings injury (Jan. 24) 4-7
Disaster struck on Jan. 24, when Brandon Jennings tore his Achilles during a game against the Bucks. Detroit lost four games in a row and the wheels started to come off without their floor general.
The team’s shooting from the field dropped significantly. The effective field goal percentage went from 51.4% to 48.2%, a 6.2% decline. And the assist ratio dropped by about the same percentage (6.3%).
Detroit relied on its halfcourt offense much more and slowed the paced down (by 3.6%). That seemed to by a byproduct of going inside more. During this span, a much greater percentage of the team’s points came in the paint (47.8% from 44.1%).
The defense suffered as well. Detroit’s defensive rating ballooned from 99.1 to 106.5, a 7.4% decrease in efficiency. The Pistons’ steals percentage fell off by 22.0% during this phase of their season, which resulted in a 5.6% decrease in points off turnovers.
Part 4: The Reggie Jackson trade (Feb. 19) 11-17
The Pistons regrouped at the All-Star Break and acquired Reggie Jackson from the Thunder in a multi-team deal.
Jackson took awhile to become acclimated to the team, as the team started 2-10 after the break, but when he got the offense rolling, great things happened. The Pistons shot an effective field goal percentage of 50.6% with Jackson on the court, compared to 47.5% with him off of it.
After the break, the Pistons really struggled to score when Jackson wasn’t playing. Detroit averaged just 96.1 points per 100 possessions with him on the bench, compared to a 106.9 offensive rating when he was on the court. That’s an 11.2% increase in offensive productivity!
Jackson’s presence helped the team’s assist/turnover ratio resume it’s place among the NBA’s elite, ranking 6th after the All-Star Break.
It was clear that once the Pistons embraced Jackson into the offense, and vice versa, it turned one of the worst teams in the league into one of the best.
2014-15 Pistons
After All-Star Break
W-L Off Rating eFG pct A/TO Ratio Def Rating
First 12 Games 2-10 97.6 (27th) 45.4% (28th) 1.47 (19th) 104.5 (25th)
Last 16 Games 9-7 107.4 (8th) 51.4% (9th) 1.94 (5th) 104.3 (20th)
Peter Newmann is an analyst and writer who spent 10 years at ESPN, 8 as the NBA senior researcher working 24/7 on the league. He wrote game notes for crews, articles for ESPN.com, analysis for studio shows, and regularly assisted reporters and writers. Follow him on Twitter, and check out his Web site, www.peternewmann.com.