Grading the current roster of the Detroit Pistons
By Travis Gibbs
The Detroit Pistons essentially have their roster set for the regular season. It has question marks as well as strengths. How would you grade it?
The Detroit Pistons seem to have their roster set for the upcoming season. They certainly don’t have the funds to add any more piece through free agency. The only realistic way there could be a shake up is from a trade.
Outside of a couple small moves, there hasn’t been that much change to what their roster looked like at the end of the season. They signed Jose Calderon, Zaza Pachulia, and Glenn Robinson III in free agency deals.
The biggest move of the off-season for the Detroit Pistons was the departure of Anthony Tolliver. At one point last season, he was the third best player on this team. They’ll miss his spark and ability to shoot from outside effectively.
Dwight Buycks and Eric Moreland are no longer with the team as well. Here’s a look at what you will be seeing this fall from the Detroit Pistons.
The back court
There are a lot of intriguing players in the back court for the Detroit Pistons. Reggie Jackson will start at the point guard position. Is there a definitive starter at the shooting guard position?
Reggie Bullock was a pleasant surprise after the Pistons parted ways with Avery Bradley. He was one of the best three-point shooters in the league when given the opportunity.
There’s also Luke Kennard to think about. He had a decent rookie campaign and shot well from outside as well. To throw even more into the mix, the Pistons drafted two guys that are guards.
Bruce Brown and Khyri Thomas showed some skills in the summer league that will be of use once the regular season starts.
Back to the point guard position, Ish Smith and Jose Calderon are back-ups to Jackson who’s been injury prone. They are serviceable back-ups but not starter-caliber players. That could be an issue.
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Langston Galloway is a guy that not a lot of people have talked about. He struggled last season but has proved before to be an adequate role player coming off the bench.
Overall, this won’t be the strong point of the team. Jackson is a borderline top five point guard in the east when he’s right. A mix of Bullock, Kennard, and others at shooting guard can provide excellent shooting.
The depth at both positions will be something to keep an eye on, especially shooting guard.
The front court
Blake Griffin is one of the better players in the game of basketball when he’s at full strength as well. Andre Drummond led the NBA in rebounds last season and continues to improve his offensive game.
He will even be taking three-point shots next season. Yes, you heard that right. The worries start once you get outside of both Drummond and Griffin.
They both need to sit out and rest from time to time as well. Henry Ellenson and Jon Leuer will battle for the back-up role at the power forward position.
Leuer nearly missed all of last season due to injuries. Ellenson has yet to prove anything the NBA to this point. Both players will need to contribute to a bench that wasn’t very efficient last season for the Detroit Pistons.
Former NBA champion Zaza Pachulia will be in a reserve role for Drummond. He’s solid defensively and that’s about it. Don’t expect offensive production from him.
This group will be the strength of the team. It is worrisome that it is so top heavy though.
Stanley Johnson and Glenn Robinson will battle for minutes at the small forward position. This has to be the most questionable position group on the team. Robinsonn III hasn’t really made a mark in the league yet even though he’s shown flashes of being a good player.
Johnson has been much of the same in his three years for the Pistons.
Final Grade
The point guard and small forward positions are the biggest concerns on this team. Jackson is talented but needs to stay healthy. Johnson needs to finally show his true potential in a Piston uniform.
The edge of the front court is solid and there are a lot of talented shooters in the back court. Finding the right balance will be key for new head coach Dwane Casey.