Pistons discovering harsh truth Heat fans have known for years

Duncan Robinson left the Miami Heat this summer in a sign-and-trade with the Pistons, agreeing to a three-year, $48 million deal. Detroit has played only four games this season, but fans have already gotten a taste of the Duncan Robinson experience.

He scored in double-digits in one of those four games, finishing with 17 points on 4-of-8 shooting from three in the Pistons' 115-111 win against the Rockets. It came at a good time, as in Detroit's season opener, Robinson had only two points on 0-of-5 shooting from deep in 32 minutes.

In the Pistons' previous two games (a win over the Celtics and a loss to the Cavaliers), Robinson shot a combined 4-of-12 from three for 16 points (eight in each game).

Overall, he's shooting 32% from three, but when you look a bit deeper, there is even more reason for Detroit fans to be concerned.

The Pistons signed Robinson solely for his three-point shooting. It's what he's relied on to get him this far in the NBA. When his shot is falling, everything is great, but when it isn't, everything comes crashing down. More often than not, he's a liability on the defensive end, even when he's hitting shots, a weakness that becomes even more obvious when he isn't contributing on the other end.

Pistons fans are coming to a Duncan Robinson realization

One of the main things that stand out about Robinson's first four games in a Pistons uniform is his inconsistency. It's something that Heat fans know well. It's still early in the season, and this is the first time he's ever played on a team not named Miami since his first NBA season in 2018-19, but this is nothing new for him.

Detroit surprised everyone by finishing with a 44-38 record last season, securing the sixth and final automatic playoff berth spot in the East. The Pistons have higher aspirations this season, and even though a 2-2 start isn't bad, they've looked shaky, from stretches without scoring to countless turnovers.

All of that is to say they want to prove that they can be a contender, but their offseason moves didn't reflect that belief. They were dealt an unfortunate hand with the Malik Beasley gambling investigation, but their top two moves of the summer were signing Robinson and Caris LeVert.

There is a reason why Detroit made Robinson's salary for the 2026-27 season partially guaranteed, and his salary for the 2027-28 season non-guaranteed. On paper, $48 million over three years is a good amount to commit to a player like Robinson, hence his contract structure. They're aware of his limitations.

The Pistons can only hope that the $16.8 million it's committed to giving Robinson this season won't turn out to be for nothing.