Detroit Pistons Media Day Highlights Focus on Skill Progress, Team Chemistry
DETROIT, MI – October 2, 2024 – Detroit Pistons players shared insights into their offseason work and team expectations at today’s media day, revealing a focus on expanding skillsets and building on last season’s success. Several players discussed specific areas of improvement and the positive team culture developing within the association.
Third-year forward Ausar Thompson emphasized the potential dynamic with teammate Jaden Ivey, stating, “JI’s one of the fastest people I ever seen in my life. I also consider myself one of those as well.So to just be able to run on fast breaks, make fast breaks out of things that people might not think are fast breaks, just if they don’t have anybody in the paint, just protect the paint. So I think we could both bring that to the team.”
Center Jalen Duren revealed he’s received the “green light” to showcase his jump shot more frequently in games,adding,”I started putting them up. Now I got the green light. So, start putting them up. Just working on it, staying consistent, staying in the gym, getting back to the fundamentals, the basics, my balance, my feet, shot mechanics. Just locking in on it every day. Trying to progress as a player and get better and just be able to be used in any way possible. Like, any way J.B. wants to use me or put me in spots, I just want to be able to fill my role to the best of my ability.”
Second-year forward Ron holland spoke about his experience acclimating to Detroit, noting, “I kind of knew a lot about Detroit before I got here. Just being able to listen to the music and everything, but when I finally got out here, I feel like I was welcomed by the fans being downtown and all that. It’s just been amazing that the passion that this city has for sports and really anything. And I feel like everybody got each other’s back around here. Everybody wants to see each other get better, and everybody wants to see each other win for real.”
Veteran forward Simone Fontecchio shared a unique aspect of his offseason training, mentioning, “I started doing martial arts. It’s something that I always wanted to do, and I think it’s going to help me with my body control, my balance, my reaction time. I’m just trying to get better every day, and I think that’s going to help me on the court.” He acknowledged the challenge of maintaining momentum, saying, “You just got to figure that out once that time comes.”
Harris expressed optimism about the team’s potential, stating, “It’s a very fast league. The game changes, team changes, dynamics change. But this group, the culture that we’ve established here, the personalities from guy-to-guy is a really special group to be a part of. Even the new guys we got coming in, I’m just understanding and seeing that, but also feeling it as well. Feeling the embrace from everybody in the room to reach the goals that we have. Then also at the same time, it’s not taken for granted the moment that we’re in. This is a very promising team, promising organization, promising city and so we have all the tools in place.”
