Detroit Pistons 2017-18 Season Review: Reggie Bullock
By Ryan Love
The Pistons’ Reggie Bullock was one of the NBA’s most improved players this season. Bullock’s 2017-18 season was a career-high throughout.
Despite missing the playoffs for a second straight year, the Detroit Pistons discovered the potential of a player who became a vital part of the team: Reggie Bullock.
Bullock had a career-year for the Pistons this season. He averaged career-highs in every major statistical category.
Doubled playing time leads to career bests
Reggie Jackson‘s injury mid-season left the Pistons’ ability to score up in the air. Stan Van Gundy unofficially locked Bullock in as the full-time, starting shooting guard this season.
Bullock averaged just over 11 points in 62 games this season. In addition, he added 2.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds.
Those numbers do not jump off the board, but are all nearly double his averages from last season. He increased his minutes from 15 per game to 28.
The Detroit Pistons' Most Improved Player of the Year Reggie Bullock pic.twitter.com/erQr22SYf3
— Sham (@shamshammgod) April 12, 2018
Three-point specialist
His greatest impact came from his All-NBA caliber shooting from outside the arc.
Bullock became the most dangerous threat from 3-point range for the Pistons this season. He led the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage by a shooting guard.
He placed second overall in 3-point percentage in the league; just a few spots ahead of a familiar face:
#Pistons finished 5th in the league in 3FG% (37.3%). Reggie Bullock (45%) was 2nd and Anthony Tolliver (44%) 7th.
— Rod Beard (@detnewsRodBeard) April 12, 2018
Bullock’s improvement was not enough to get the Pistons to the postseason, but it does provide hope for the future.
Bullock & Griffin
Blake Griffin‘s arrival in Detroit received mixed reviews at best among fans and NBA analysts. The duo many fans were interested to see was Griffin paired with Andre Drummond in the frontcourt.
However, Griffin had more chemistry with Bullock than it appeared with anyone else on the team. The two played together during Bullock’s first two season in the league with the Clippers, but injuries and Bullock’s lack of playing time did not point to any future tandem between them.
When Bullock and Griffin were on the court together, the Pistons averaged their second-best three-point percentage of any two-man combination Van Gundy put on the floor this season; second only to the Pistons’ combination of Bullock and Luke Kennard.
Griffin’s presence spaces the floor for the Pistons’ shooters, and because Anthony Tolliver will most likely be gone next season, Bullock will have even more attention in the backcourt.
Value
Bullock signed a two-year, five-million dollar contract last season. The Pistons have a roster full of big contracts that have not delivered winning results. Therefore, Bullock is one of Van Gundy’s few value deals.