The Pistons fell to 6-3 with Sunday’s loss to the Lakers, a game they trailed by as many as 26 points after a dismal first quarter, but Kevin Huerter had his best game as a member of the team and played a critical role in a comeback bid that came up short, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscriber link).
The veteran wing filled the box score, finishing with 24 points (on 9-of-14 shooting), five rebounds and five assists in 35 minutes. Huerter’s top individual highlight was a fantastic no-look, behind-his-head pass to Daniss Jenkins in the opposite corner (YouTube short).
“I didn’t see it, could kinda feel the crowded paintHuerter said after the game.Kinda knew as I was cutting, it was open on the other side and I threw it where I thought it would be. Luckily he made it after the pass.”
Known more for his offense than his defense, Huerter also had a career-high five blocks (his previous best was three) and two steals. Sankofa refers to Huerter as a “connector on both ends” of the court, and the 28-year-old, who re-signed with the Pistons this summer on a three-year, $27MM deal after they traded for him in February, said he takes it personally when opposing offenses try to put him in actions.
“You get challengedHuerter said.As a competitor, (coach) J.B. (Bickerstaff) challenges all of us to sit in a stance and guard guys. The bigs are gonna have our backs once we get to the rim, but they over and over again want to get switches and put me in. As a competitor, not accepting that and taking on the challenge and doing the best you can.”
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Daniss Jenkins was another bright spot in defeat, Sankofa adds. The third-year guard had a career-high 31 points, including going 8-of-15 from long distance, while chipping in five rebounds, four assists and a steal in 32 minutes. Jenkins will be a restricted free agent next summer after the Pistons exercised their $4MM option on his contract in June.
In another story for The Detroit Free Press, Sankofa details how veteran forward Taurean Prince recovered from neck surgery last season as a member of the Bucks to return to the NBA. Prince suffered the a herniated disc in his neck in a game last November and an MRI revealed the injury a few days later. He underwent surgery on Nov. 13, 2025, and remarkably made it back to the court four months later even though doctors told him him his career wasn’t the only thing in jeopardy — he experienced numbness on the left side of his body as a result of the injury and was told he might not regain motor control. “They couldn’t guarantee me the feeling back in my left arm, on the left side of my body,” Prince said. “But they could guarantee that they could fix my neck injury. All I was asking was if I would be able to come back and play. I was told the rehab would have to go perfect, so as soon as I was done with the surgery, after I knew it was a success I just started figuring out my rehab plan.”
Sharpshooter Isaiah Joe will miss seventh straight game Monday because of a right hip contusion, tweets Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. The Pistons acquired the 27-year-old shooting guard over the summer in a trade with the Thunder. Detroit controls a $11.3MM option on Joe’s deal for next season.
Bickerstaff acknowledged the Pistons are being cautious with Jalen Duren’s right hamstring strain prior to Sunday’s game, according to Sankofa (Twitter video link). The team announced before Bickerstaff’s media availability that the star big man, who suffered the injury on Oct. 23, is out at least two more weeks. “We’re not going to rush him. We’re going to take our time and make sure we’re doing things right so when he comes back, he comes back for good,” Bickerstaff said of Duren.