Reggie Bullock’s 2017-18 season outlook

In our series of season outlooks for the players on the 2017-18 Detroit Pistons roster, we’ll run through expectations for each. Next up is Reggie Bullock.

Reggie Bullock is a man who many thought would not be returning to the Detroit Pistons for the 2017-18 season. After a season that was largely disappointing due to injuries, the Pistons declined to extend him a qualifying offer as he entered restricted free agency earlier this month.

This came after the league suspended Bullock for the first five games of the 2017-18 season due to violating the NBA’s drug policy.

They did, however, retain his cap hold and thus his Bird rights, allowing them to go over the salary cap to re-sign him. That’s what the Pistons did on July 14th, signing him to a two-year $5 million contract.

Related Story: Henry Ellenson's 2017-18 season outlook for the Pistons

Bullock missed the first 12 games of the regular season with back spasms, only to return and tear his meniscus four games into his return. He then missed 24 more games as he rehabilitated from that injury.

After finally getting back into the lineup in mid-January, he was a productive member of the Detroit Pistons when he was on the floor. He averaged just 16 minutes per game in the 27 appearances he made, but he shot 42 percent from the floor and 39.4 percent from three-point range.

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Bullock finished the season with the best three-point percentage on the team, well ahead of Reggie Jackson‘s 35.9 percent, and his shooting boost was much-needed for a team that only hit 33 percent of its three-pointers.

Much like the rest of his fellow Piston reserves, the team generally played better when he was on the court than off it. When Bullock was off over the last 41 games of the season (when he returned from his torn meniscus), the Pistons were outscored by 4.5 points per 100 possessions. When he was on, the Pistons outscored their opponents by 5 points per 100. It was a small sample of only 425 minutes, but it was indicative of a larger theme common to the Pistons.

Going forward, Bullock will likely fill a role more suited to his abilities. Last season he played 93 percent of his minutes at shooting guard, largely thanks to a dearth of twos behind Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. This year, the Pistons are fully stocked at the two, meaning he can play his more natural position at the three in relief of (probably) either Stanley Johnson or Tobias Harris.

Coming into last season, 70 percent of Bullock’s career minutes at the NBA level had been at the three and only 28 percent at the two.

Next: Why the Pistons should rest Reggie Jackson

If Bullock can provide 12-15 minutes per game of solid defense and good shooting off the bench, he will more than ably fill the role the Detroit Pistons expect of him.