The Detroit Pistons have seen a lot of turnover this offseason, particularly at the forward positions.
Rotation players Greg Monroe, Caron Butler, and Tayshaun Prince will all be playing elsewhere next season.
Through the draft, trades, and free agency, Detroit has replaced these aging or ill fitting players, with young talent that should compliment Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson well next season in Stanley Johnson, Marcus Morris, and Ersan Ilyasova.
They also added another shooter in Darrun Hilliard in the second round who may see some burn this season, and a center in Aron Baynes that should give the Pistons nice depth behind Drummond.
Steve Blake was acquired from the Brooklyn Nets in case Spencer Dinwiddie fails to effectively spell Jackson, and he’ll also serve as insurance while the Pistons wait for Brandon Jennings to return from injury.
Now that the Pistons’ roster has filled out, who do you think will have the biggest impact next season?
Personally, I like what Ilyasova brings to the team and he’s a lock to get plenty of minutes. His outside shooting will give Drummond plenty of space to work down low, while also opening up lanes for Jackson to create offense for himself and others.
Johnson could be equally impactful for the Pistons with his defense and rebounding, but it’s still to be determined how the Pistons use him–whether that be as a complimentary scorer on the first unit or the go-to guy on the second.
Either way his role will be important, but I’m not sure his presence will impact the team the way Ilyasova’s will, particularly with the starters.
Besides that Ilyasova is a proven NBA player and Johnson hasn’t even played a minute of NBA basketball with the exception of Summer League which isn’t even comparable in skill level.
Then there’s Morris who’s also a bit of a wild card. How will his play elevate in an increased role? He felt he never really had a chance to blossom in Phoenix, but now he has that chance.
I’ve been pretty vocal about not liking the Morris trade as much as others, because his character concerns, but he may very well be a good teammate. The truth is, no one outside of the players in the locker room and the coaches really know how his personality and off the court issues will impact the team.
Which new addition to the Pistons do you think will have the biggest impact?
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