Detroit Pistons: Back court depth could be key to success

Health at point guard and the revolving door at shooting guard have been the downfall of the Detroit Pistons. These two positions will be pivotal to the team’s success this upcoming season.

The Detroit Pistons now feature two premiere players in their front court. Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin are immediately who people think of when they think of this team.

What about the rest of the roster? Outside of Griffin and Drummond in the front court, it’s a little thin right now because of the injury to Jon Leuer. Stanley Johnson has yet to prove anything as well.

The Detroit Pistons will get a majority of their production from Griffin and Drummond next season. Who else will step up? That’s where the team should turn to the point guard and shooting guard positions.

Looking at the front court, there are a lot of players that can make a difference. It can be the strength of this team this season if it all comes together.

Point Guard

It feels like we have beat a dead horse with the point guard position and the Detroit Pistons. It will be repeated once more. The only way this team goes anywhere is behind the health of Reggie Jackson.

People can say what they want about him. He has flaws but he’s clearly the most valuable player on this roster. They live and die by his activity on the floor.

The bench struggled last year because Jameer Nelson and Dwight Buycks were leading that unit at point guard. It will be much better with Ish Smith playing that position.

Smith is a fantastic back-up point guard. He brings a great change of pace to Jackson’s style of play. Smith likes to push the tempo and look for opportunities that way. Being put on the second unit with the likes of Thomas, Glenn Robinson III, Luke Kennard and other great shooters will only compliment that style of play.

The Pistons also signed Jose Calderon for his second gig in Detroit. He’s a veteran that has been on some great teams. He’s a guy that can give you valuable minutes in a pinch and has become a great three-point shooter.

Calderon is a far better third point guard than Jameer Nelson and Dwight Buycks because of his ability to shoot and facilitate at an adequate level.

Shooting Guard

The shooting guard position is the most intriguing spot on this team. It has to do with the variety of skill sets that the Pistons can put on the floor at any given time.

Reggie Bullock and Luke Kennard are the front-runners for getting a majority of the minutes at shooting guard. They both shoot extremely well from the perimeter and can help space the floor to get open looks for players like Griffin and Drummond.

Khyri Thomas is another player that will compete for minutes. The Pistons traded up in the draft to get Thomas and for good reason. Throughout the summer league, Thomas displayed his hard-nosed defense that he brings every night and the ability to shoot from the outside.

That’s a skill set that can be utilized no matter how much NBA experience a player has. Langston Galloway is another player that can be effective given the right opportunity.

We also can’t forgot about Bruce Brown. As you can see, there are a lot of guys that will be fighting for minutes. One of them could even end up being a nice trade chip depending on how things go.

The Detroit Pistons have depth at guard and that could be the key to them winning games this coming season.

A couple guys that can compliment the talent already on the floor will get the majority of the minutes. New head coach Dwane Casey will be looking for great role players at this position.

Point guard and shooting guard will define the Detroit Pistons. These two positions can take the team from middle of the pack to contention in the east.