Reserve center Willie Reed has been suspended for six games due to a domestic violence incident with his wife last summer. Reed has played in three games with the Detroit Pistons since being traded from the Los Angeles Clippers on Jan. 29.
Detroit Pistons’ center Willie Reed was suspended for six games on Tuesday afternoon, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo! Sports.
Detroit center Willie Reed has been suspended six games by the NBA for an Aug. 5 domestic violence incident.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 6, 2018
The suspension is for a domestic violence incident that occurred between Reed and his wife back in Aug. 2017.
Reed, 27, was acquired by the Pistons in a Jan. 29 trade that also brought forwards Blake Griffin and Brice Johnson to Detroit.
He has appeared in three games so far, but has only played a total of nine minutes. Reed finished with two points and one rebound in Monday’s 111-91 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
The suspension will leave the Pistons with only two true centers (Andre Drummond and Eric Moreland) for the next six games.
Detroit can manage being short one center for a couple of weeks.
However, the major concern with Moreland is whether or not he will continue to be a liability on the floor. It’s been a reoccurring theme this year, and the main reason why he’s sat out a total of nine games.
If that trend continues, Stan Van Gundy will have to make a decision of what to do when Drummond is on the bench. Does his risk playing Moreland? Or does he elect to go with an undersized lineup?
The latter is more probable. Expect Blake Griffin, Henry Ellenson, and Anthony Tolliver to all serve as the de facto center at some point throughout Reed’s absence.
Reed won’t be eligible to return until the Pistons visit the Charlotte Hornets on Feb. 25.
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In the meantime, Detroit will have to make do with one less big man on the roster.