With the loss of Greg Monroe and the additions of Marcus Morris and Ersan Ilyasova, the Detroit Pistons’ reconstructed starting five has gotten its fair share of attention.
It is safe to assume that the starting lineup on opening night will include Reggie Jackson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Marcus Morris, Ersan Ilyasova and Andre Drummond. Stanley Johnson could bump Morris or apparently even KCP out of the starting five, but it would likely take a pretty incredible performance in training camp to do so.
Assuming there are no surprises in the starting lineup – how good could the second unit be?
That question may hinge on how well Brandon Jennings returns from injury.
In the unlikely event that he is fully healthy to start the season, Jennings would arguably be the best back up point guard in the NBA. A second unit of Jennings, Jodie Meeks, Stanley Johnson, Anthony Tolliver and Aron Baynes could be pretty solid. Of course, those five players will probably not be on the floor at the same time all that often unless foul trouble or injuries require it, but it would be a group that would definitely be able to score if called upon with Jennings, Meeks and Tolliver being proven three point shooters.
If Jennings either isn’t healthy or isn’t his normal self, the group could still thrive if Stanley Johnson is as ready to contribute offensively as he looked during Summer League. In a scenario minus Jennings as we know him but with Johnson providing consistent offense, Steve Blake and/or Spencer Dinwiddie could serve primarily as distributors with Meeks, Johnson and Tolliver doing the bulk of the scoring.
Defense would be the main concern, and Stanley Johnson and Aron Baynes would need to pick up the slack in that department. Johnson has looked ready to defend his position at an NBA level.
Aron Baynes is an active big whose defensive numbers are not overly impressive, but he did show that he doesn’t mind doing the dirty work in limited minutes with the Spurs, which tends to be expected from a back up center.
Baynes had 1.6 defensive win shares a season ago with a defensive rating of 103 per 100 possessions and 0.7 blocks per 36 minutes.
As a comparison, Timofey Mozgov had 2.2 defensive win shares last season, with a defensive rating of 105 per 100 possessions and 1.7 blocks per 36 minutes. Andre Drummond had 4.3 defensive win shares last season, with a defensive rating of 100 per 100 possessions and 2.2 blocks per 36 minutes.
Hopefully Baynes can improve on those numbers in extended minutes with the Pistons, in addition to providing good rebounding and at least serviceable offense.
When you compare the Pistons’ reserves to those from other Eastern Conference teams, there are five other teams who I think have a group of bench players with the potential to be as productive as the Pistons’.
The Boston Celtics are a team who will have an impressive bench.
Boston has a legitimate battle for the starting spot at nearly every position. Two of Amir Johnson, Tyler Zeller, Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk will start up front. No matter the outcome, Boston will have two solid front court players coming off the bench. Similarly, Jae Crowder, Evan Turner and Jonas Jerebko will fight for the starting small forward slot, which will leave two more capable players on the bench. In the back court, Marcus Smart or Isaiah Thomas will start at point guard, leaving one as the likely sixth man – a role Thomas thrived in last season.
The Chicago Bulls will also have a capable bench. Their alternates will feature Kirk Hinrich, Aaron Brooks, Tony Snell, Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic, with potential production from Doug McDermott and rookie Bobby Portis. As usual, the Bulls bench won’t be a flashy bunch, but they will be solid enough to keep Chicago from dropping off too much when their starters are given a rest.
Toronto is the third team, with former Spur Cory Joseph, Terrence Ross, James Johnson, Bismack Biyombo and Luis Scola serving as their main reserves. Biyombo has been a disappointment since being drafted in the lottery, but he is still a capable rim protector to play alongside Scola in the front court. Cory Joseph is back in his hometown after backing up Tony Parker in San Antonio, and with him alongside Ross and Johnson, there is certainly no shortage of athleticism or defensive ability on Toronto’s bench.
The fourth team is the Milwaukee Bucks. I really liked the addition of Greivis Vasquez to their bench to play with sixth man O.J. Mayo. Both are skilled veterans who will play well alongside each other. They also bring John Henson off the bench as a backup center, in addition to Jerryd Bayless and Miles Plumlee.
The final team is the Miami Heat. Their reserve players include Mario Chalmers, Gerald Green, rookie Justise Winslow, Amar’e Stoudemire, Josh McRoberts, Chris Andersen and Udonis Haslem. There is a lot of playoff experience and athleticism among that group.
Take a look at the potential second units for the rest of the Eastern Conference teams, based on my estimation after looking at who each team will have coming off the bench at each position:
Brooklyn Nets: Donald Sloan, Wayne Ellington, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Thomas Robinson, Andrea Bargnani
New York Knicks: Langston Galloway, Cleanthony Early, Lou Amundson, Kristaps Porzingis, Kevin Seraphin
Philadelphia 76ers: Isaiah Canaan, Nik Stauskas, Hollis Thompson, Gerald Wallace, Carl Landry
Cleveland Cavaliers: Mo Williams, Matthew Dellavedova, Richard Jefferson, Tristan Thompson, Anderson Varejeo
Indiana Pacers: Rodney Stuckey, C.J. Miles, Solomon Hill, Myles Turner, Lavoy Allen
Atlanta Hawks: Dennis Schroder, Kent Bazemore, Tim Hardaway, Jr., Mike Muscala, Tiago Splitter
Charlotte Hornets: Jeremy Lin, Jeremy Lamb, Marvin Williams, Frank Kaminsky, Spencer Hawes
Orlando Magic: C.J. Watson, Evan Fournier, Mario Hezonja, Channing Frye, Jason Smith
Washington Wizards: Ramon Sessions, Gary Neal, Kelly Oubre, Jared Dudley, Kris Humphries
Of the rest of the teams in the Eastern Conference, which do you think has a bench that could potentially be as good or better than the Pistons’? Additionally, do you agree that the Pistons’ bench will be a strong point for the team this season?