3 on 3: Detroit Pistons line-up questions

The Detroit Pistons are 18 games into the NBA season and we are still seeing Stan Van Gundy tinker with the rotations. Detroit are sitting at a very good 12-6 and currently second in the Eastern Conference. In this 3 on 3, I ask Shameek Mohile , Andrew Brewster, and Thomas McKenzie about the Detroit Pistons line-up and rotation.

As usual, let us know what you think either in the comments, or find us on twitter (@shamshammgod, @Iambrewster, @thommc18).

1. The Detroit Pistons struggle with rebounding when Leuer is the primary backup C. Do you think Eric Moreland has earned regular minutes? Has Anthony Tolliver‘s play kept Leuer out of the rotation?

Sham

I believe that Moreland has earned playing time over Boban Marjanovic (sorry Boban fans), but I do think that Leuer plays a different role than Moreland. In the cases where the Pistons really need to stretch the floor, but not compromise on size up front, Jon Leuer is the perfect stretch 5. Defensively, Moreland is a better defender – being able to defend at the rim and the perimeter, but Leuer isn’t a sieve by any means.

Firstly, Anthony Tolliver has been nothing short of spectacular upon his return to the Motor City. He’s not only made a noticeable off-court impact on the team in terms of maturity, but he’s been a reliable threat while on the court as well. Like I said in the previous question, Leuer might be best served as a stretch 5 on the court but would pair well with Tolliver by his side. I don’t think Leuer has been ousted from the line-up completely, but Tolliver’s strong play has pushed Leuer down the depth chart at the Power Forward position.

If Moreland is first off the bench at the 5, does Tolliver play the 4 with Bullock at the 3, does Leuer play the 4 and Tolliver the 3, etc..

All the line-up possibilities depend on the opponent. If Moreland is first off the bench at the 5, then I believe Tolliver has played well enough to push Leuer out of the backup 4 role. I am still not completely selling on Reggie Bullock‘s ability to stay on the court, but I believe with the strong play of Luke Kennard on the defensive end his opportunities are starting to look a bit limited.

Brew

I think Moreland has definitely earned minutes in certain matchups. To me, right now, there are four players who can potentially play backup 5 on the team, which gives Stan Van Gundy a lot of flexibility with the line-ups. Eric Moreland is great when the Pistons need an increase in energy and rebounding. However, Moreland still lacks a lot of professional experience, so wily veterans take advantage of him fast. When Detroit played the Pacers, Moreland was absolutely eaten up by big Al Jefferson in the post. That night, SVG subbed in Boban Marjonovic to take on Jefferson. Boban is obviously one of the four options SVG has at the centre position, and he is probably the worst defensive big man on the team. This means that Van Gundy needs to be strategic about his usage. It made sense to play Boban night since he was already beating up Moreland. None of the other options at the 5 could have put up much of a defence against Jefferson (who is a unique, old-school player), so SVG decided to exploit Boban’s offensive advantage. No one can really guard Boban in the paint, so if the team isn’t giving up much by using him, he can provide a lot of dominant scoring in a short burst.

That leaves Jon Leuer and Anthony Tolliver as the other rotation bigs. They are both primarily power forwards who have clocked minutes as small-ball centres. As of right now, Jon Leuer doesn’t have much of a case to be taking minutes from Tolliver; if SVG wants a small-ball 5, it should be Tolliver. I think SVG will employ different line-ups depending on the matchup, but as of right now I think it would be ideal to play Tolliver/Leuer/Moreland, or Kennard/Tolliver/Moreland. Then, Tolliver would slide into small-ball line-ups as the centre, with Reggie Bullock or Ellenson in the game.

Tom

Personally, I like Moreland better. I don’t think he’s really had the minutes to prove he should be the primary backup, but I think he’s still the best choice. He’s athletic and active on the offensive boards. His upside outweighs the downside. I am VERY low on Leuer. I am not a fan of his defence and am sick of his refusal to shoot the three ball. We signed him as a stretch three and he hasn’t delivered since last year’s all-star game. Maybe he’ll improve, but his confidence has to return first and I don’t see it happening anytime soon. And it looks like Detroit is in win NOW mode. We’ll see how it goes. I’m always happy when players prove me wrong, so let’s hope that’s what happens.

While Tolliver’s stats haven’t popped out, his difference making comes from energy and hustle, what Detroit loves. He’s quickly back to fan favourite status I think. AND his defence has been clutch. He’s done an amazing job picking up the unicorn and other stars. I love him as a FA pickup and look forward to him doing great things with the Pistons.