Thompson is a rookie but appears very poised as a ballhandler and passer. Offensively, there’s enough here to keep the scoreboard moving. ![]() I can think of five losses last season that Detroit should have won if it weren’t for second-chance points by opponents in the final moments. Rebounding in the clutch has to be an emphasis for the Pistons next season. As for rebounding, a strong case could be made that Thompson, Stewart and Duren are the best frontcourt trio Detroit can have to control the glass. But we need to see the strides consistently over a long stretch before tossing him into such a critical situation, especially when the veteran Morris, has made a good living as a stable defender and mistake-free ballhandler.ĭefensively, this is a good five. Ivey has grown as a defender since the start of his rookie season and told The Athletic last month that the defensive end has been a big emphasis for him. The goal long term is for Ivey to be out there instead of Morris, and I think it’s possible. This is probably the best group Williams could toss out there to get the necessary stops and keep the scoreboard moving. Prediction: Cunningham, Monte Morris, Thompson, Stewart and DurenĪnalysis: Now, it’s the fourth quarter and Detroit is leading by 10 with 6 minutes left. This bunch has a lot of offensive firepower, a good amount of shooting and just enough defense to make a stop or two when needed - depending on the opponent of course. With this group, there is reason for concern defensively and on the glass, but you can’t close the gap quickly if you can’t score. Helping off of Ivey might not be wise either because he can hit open 3s and quickly take advantage of the open space by either cutting or catching and taking off when the ball is swung to him. If Cunningham has the ball in his hands, defenses won’t be able to help off of Burks or Bogdanović on the perimeter. There are four players out there who can create their shot. ![]() To me, this is the group that has the best chance of closing that deficit in a short time. ![]() Prediction: Cunningham, Ivey, Alec Burks, Bogdanović and DurenĪnalysis: It’s the fourth quarter and Detroit is trailing by 10 with 6 minutes to play. A shoulder injury in January tanked his overall 3-point numbers from being closer to 35 percent.Īll of these guys have to prove they can be consistent shooters, but I don’t think it’s a reach to believe that this starting lineup could have four players who might knock down 35 percent of their 3s. Stewart shot 33 percent from 3 in his first season shooting a high volume. He’ll get even easier looks playing alongside Cunningham. 1 until the end of the regular season (26 games). Ivey knocked down a more-than-respectable 37.5 percent of his 3s from Feb. ![]() Cunningham has yet to shoot the 3-ball consistently well at the NBA level, but I have little doubt that’ll change. However, if you believe in the shooting development of Cunningham, Ivey and Stewart, this group could check a lot of boxes. He rebounded and defended well during summer league, but I still just have a hard time envisioning a Cunningham-Ivey-Thompson-Bogdanović-Duren lineup to start the season.Īs for shooting, the predicted starting lineup has upside but that is probably the biggest concern with this group. Detroit struggled to rebound last season when either Bogdanović or Saddiq Bey started at the 4, and the defense wasn’t particularly good. However, I just can’t see that happening. Some of you may be in the camp of having Stewart come off the bench in favor of Ausar Thompson with Bogdanović moving to power forward. There’s been so much of an emphasis on defense and having multiple creators on the floor that this particular group is the closest thing Detroit can get to addressing both, while still having shooting upside involved. Prediction: Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Bojan Bogdanović, Isaiah Stewart and Jalen DurenĪnalysis: I still think this is the Pistons’ most balanced lineup to start the season. In this exercise, I’m going to guesstimate what I believe the Pistons’ best lineups will be in different scenarios, which include starting, closing (both offensive-focused and defensive-focused), bench, small ball, spacing and big lineups.ĭetroit is an unproven bunch, but the potential depth (assuming development breaks right in some key areas) presents some interesting lineup combinations for the upcoming season. With all of that in mind, there’s no accurately predicting at this point what Detroit and new head coach Monty Williams will do when it comes to lineups and rotations.
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