The Detroit Pistons will be looking to bolster their bench this offseason. Is Mirza Teletovic a logical solution given the second unit’s lack of a scoring punch and an obvious need for more shooting?
Mirza Teletovic, 30, could make for a perfect target for the Detroit Pistons this offseason. Three situational circumstances support this claim.
First, there is an obvious need for a backup power forward as Anthony Tolliver hits free agency. Second, Detroit needs more scoring from their second unit – they were last in bench scoring last season with 25.7 points per game. Finally, they need to be more efficient with the three point shot.
Last season, the Pistons took the 10th most three pointers in the league, but they only made 34.5% of them, which ranked 21st. If they are going to keep shooting a high volume of them, they need to do so more efficiently.
Enter Teletovic. The 6’9” forward does one thing well and that’s shoot the three. Last season for Phoenix, his fourth in the NBA, he hit them at a 39.3% clip. For his career, he’s a 37.5% marksman.
Since Teletovic and Tolliver are both 30, let’s do a little comparison:
While Teletovic has the statistical edge in most areas, it should be noted that Tolliver has a defensive advantage over him, and he is a known commodity that is respected for his leadership and professionalism.
But we are here to talk about a lack of shooting and scoring punch off the bench.
More from Pistons News
- Which Detroit Pistons could save Team USA in the Olympics?
- Detroit Pistons could have major roster churn after 2023-24 season
- The best Detroit Pistons to wear each uniform number
- Full Detroit Pistons NBA 2K24 ratings
- Detroit Pistons: Who will sign the remaining NBA free agents?
Teletovic made 181 (of 460) threes last season. That was the 14th most by any player last season, and it was 63 more than the Pistons leader (Reggie Jackson). His 39.3% mark also ranked 30th among qualifying players last season. The three Pistons to top that mark (Jodie Meeks – 44.4% on 4/9 shooting; Justin Harper – 44.4% on 4/9 shooting; and Reggie Bullock – 41.5% on 22/53 shooting) shot 389 fewer threes than Teletovic COMBINED last season.
Yeah, I think the Pistons could use a guy like him.
Detroit did trade Spencer Dinwiddie for Cameron Bairstow, a power forward, yesterday. But Bairstow isn’t a three point threat and I doubt that the team views him as the answer at backup power forward.
Last season, Teletovic played for the Suns on a one-year, $5.5-million contract because of fear of a bilateral pulmonary embolus issue he was diagnosed with in January of 2015. He appeared in 79 games last season though, which eases those fears. Even though the league’s salary cap is expected to climb to $94 million next season, Teletovic could still be had for relatively cheap.
While he is pretty one dimensional, the dimension he excels in happens to be the one the Pistons need most. He shies away from the paint, but that’s a playing style Detroit could utilize to their advantage. Heck, it may even be what they desire out of a backup forward. Adding Mirza Teletovic to the bench would make a lot of sense.