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The Pistons need to make these adjustments to avoid a catastrophic 0-2 start

The Detroit Pistons can't afford another disaster in Game 2 or their dream season could be up in flames with a second loss to the Orlando Magic in the first round.
ByWynston Wilcox|
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Orlando Magic v Detroit Pistons - Game One
Orlando Magic v Detroit Pistons - Game One | Gregory Shamus/GettyImages

Key Points

Bullet point summary by AI

  • The Detroit Pistons face a must-win Game 2 against the Orlando Magic to avoid an 0-2 playoff deficit in their first-round series.
  • Coach J.B. Bickerstaff must devise a strategy to leverage the team's physical advantage and establish a dominant inside presence against the Magic.
  • The Pistons need to diversify their offensive attack beyond star Cade Cunningham to avoid repeating the offensive struggles that plagued them in Game 1.

This was not the start to the 2026 NBA playoffs the Detroit Pistons imagined. A loss is one thing, but an ugly loss in which just two Detroit players scored more than 10 points, well that feels more like disaster than not. Fortunately for the Pistons, Orlando needs three more wins to advance. Detroit’s job is to make sure that doesn’t happen. Detroit was the top seed in the Eastern conference for a reason. 

Game 2 is all about adjustments and what J.B. Bickerstaff can conjure up to level this series and end the home playoff drought. Here’s three things the Pistons need to fix to save themselves from a first round disaster. 

Detroit can’t lose the physical battle with Orlando in Game 2

Winning games are hard and the Pistons are still waiting on their first home playoff win in nearly two decades. Now this should be the year they end those woes and if not then something went terribly wrong. Assuming the Pistons return to form after playing a hot Orlando team in Game 1, the big difference is going to be physicality. Jalen Duren was a nonfactor and realistically the Magic don’t have a player that matches his stature. 

The fact that one of the meanest teams in the NBA got punked on Sunday shows you just how much the aggressive mentality plays a role for the Pistons. Orlando outrebounded Detroit in every category, forced 11 Detroit turnovers, outscored the Pistons by 20 points inside the lane and even had more fouls than Detroit. 

The Pistons have to be more aggressive inside if they want to take back control of this series. It’s not just about roughing up the Magic, but asserting their dominance inside. J.B. Bickerstaff alluded to entering the playoffs, Duren being good enough to be the No. 2 scorer on this team. Yet his eight points on four shots and seven rebounds were significantly lower than his regular season standard.

If Detroit loses the physical battle, Sunday will turn into a pattern for the rest of this series. They were the underdog in the playoffs last year against the New York Knicks, but it was their physical play style that helped them force six games out of that series. That same mantra is what’s going to help them defend their top dog status in the Eastern conference. 

Jalen Duren has to step up at the second scoring option for this Pistons offense

Jalen Duren, Detroit Piston
Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The only thing worse than the Pistons’ lack of physicality was relying strictly on Cade Cunningham for offense. He scored 39 points and the Pistons still lost. That can’t happen moving forward. Detroit has to find that player to be the secondary scoring option. They have options as well. Daniss Jenkins has been a steady spark off the bench, but we went cold. Tobias Harris was off on Sunday as well. 

Duren has been the most reliable this season and he only took four shots. The Magic don’t have a big man that’s good enough to stop Duren. Bickerstaff has to draw up a game plan that lets Cunningham and Duren be the center of the offense. This season, Duren averaged nearly 18 points and 11 rebounds against Orlando. 

That version of Duren needs to resurface for the rest of this series. Cade hit his average against the Magic (32.7 ppg), Duren needs to pull his weight. The Pistons success not only comes from how well Cunningham plays, but how well Duren complements him too. 

Improving the halfcourt offense will go a long way to turning things around in Game 2

The Pistons had just two players score in double figures while all five of Orlando’s starters scored in double figures. If you want to lose a game, abandon the halfcourt offense. The Pistons not only need Duren to step up as a bigger offensive weapon, but need the rest of the team to pick up the slack as well. They need a better offensive gameplan to make the offense run smoother. 

A better gameplan will also help them eliminate the turnovers. The Pistons’ offense looked stale and without Cunningham it looked dormant. Game 2 is all about finding ways to get the rest of the players involved in the offense. That starts with being more physical in the lane, but also means the guys on the perimeter need to hit their shots. 

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