Detroit Pistons: Predicting the 2019 NBA Playoffs Rotation
By Joye Pruitt
Reserves: Ish Smith, Luke Kennard, Langston Galloway, Thon Maker, Zaza Pachulia
Ish Smith, 22.1 Minutes, + 2 – 3 minutes
The tea is that Ish Smith is crucial to the Detroit Pistons’ success for the remainder of the regular season and of greater significance, the 2019 NBA Playoffs. When Smith goes down, the Detroit Pistons seem to slow their pace on the floor. Opponents are better when he’s off the floor. His absence delivers a 2.5 percent increase in their effective field-goal percentage. Dwane Casey & Co are 8-18 when he’s missing in action so his influence on game-play cannot be understated. They need him in the rotation.
Luke Kennard, 21.4 Minutes, + 3 – 4 minutes
Wayne Ellington’s nod over Luke Kennard in the starting lineup might have been the boost the second-year player needed to take the green-light Casey had given him a while ago. He’s still learning the floor, but is assertive on the offensive end by being ready for the pass and creating his own shot off-the-dribble.
Kennard’s four-game run sees him averaging 51.3 percent from the floor and 42.9 percent from beyond the arc. His 12.8 points average per over the stint have been central to the Pistons’ three to one win-loss ratio during the same period and the spacing he provides is unmatched by anyone else on the roster, short of Blake Griffin.