3 on 3: Detroit Pistons line-up questions
By Ash Vanclay
2. When Stanley Johnson was out we saw some 3 guard line-ups in particular off the bench. Can you foresee a regular 3 guard line-up off the bench of Ish Smith, Langston Galloway, and Luke Kennard?
Sham
Stan Van Gundy has actually experimented a bit with this back court line-up and it’s worked thus far. The key to this line-up is on the shoulders of Luke Kennard’s ability to defend at least at a passable level. If Kennard can do just that, the possibilities on the offensive end are mouth-watering. Adding a reliable shooter on the outside with Ish Smith darting in and out of the paint looking to pass is always going to be good for the spacing of the Pistons. Also, Luke Kennard has been a sniper thus far this season and deserves to get minutes. Unfortunately (or fortunately), Langston Galloway has also been stellar this season.
Brew
Except for the rare times when the Pistons play teams who carry a dynamic, strong scorer at the small-forward position, I think this is actually my preferred line-up. On offense, it gives the team a lot of firepower and ball-handling ability. Offensively, it reminds me of the Harden/Beverly/Gordon line-ups we saw from the Rockets last year. This 3-guard line-up was employed in the Pistons recent win over the heat, and Kennard and Galloway led all players in plus/minus. This line-up flexibility allows Stan Van Gundy to decide each night if he’d prefer a line-up of Ish/Galloway/Tolliver/Leuer/Moreland, Ish/Galloway/Kennard/Tolliver/Moreland, or Ish/Galloway/Kennard/Bullock/Tolliver. Those are three completely different looks coming off the bench, with different strengths and weaknesses. In a league where other teams keep a more static rotation, this could give SVG a huge advantage going into the thick of the season.
Tom
Ish Smith’s speedy game seems slightly out-of-place with the half court offense Kennard and Galloway have been a part of this year. I hadn’t watched Galloway before he came to Detroit so I’m not sure how he could match up and Kennard seems more like a half court baller. That said, Smith can still create in the half court with his insane speed. Him drawing in the defence of the drive could get them open for good shots. I’d prefer our winning formula for now. But Stan has been smart with matching up our line-ups with other teams. So another maybe.