The Detroit Pistons have a massive wing problem on this roster. Should the Pistons be interested in bringing back Reggie Bullock to fix it?
The Detroit Pistons traded Reggie Bullock to the Los Angelas Lakers at the trade deadline for a second round pick and Svi Mykhailiuk.
After also trading Stanley Johnson to the Milwaukee Bucks for Thon maker, the Pistons wing rotation went from one of the worst in the league to possibly THE worst wing rotation in the league.
The wing issue really showed up in the playoffs for the Pistons, where they had no one on the entire roster who was capable of guarding Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton.
With the likely departure of Wayne Ellington in free agency, the Pistons biggest need this off-season is the wing position. Heck, even if Ellington would return it would still be a massive need.
The Pistons could attack this need in a multitude of ways. They could trade for a starting caliber wing, they could use their 15th pick on a wing like Kevin Porter Jr., or they could use their MLE exception to sign a wing.
Should bringing back Bullock in free agency be a consideration for the Detroit Pistons? According to James Edwards of The Athletic, Bullock is open to returning to the Pistons in free agency if the Pistons are interested.
Bullock spent 3.5 seasons in the Motor City, which saw him shoot a career-high 44.5 percent from three in 2017-2018. In the first half of this past season, Bullock was still an elite shooter, shooting 39 percent on 6.7 attempts a game for the Pistons.
Bullock is one of the elite shooters in the league. Bullock also created some great chemistry with Pistons superstar Blake Griffin during his time here. Griffin and Bullock DHO’s (dribble handoff) was a major staple of the Pistons offense before he was traded.
After the trade to Lakers, Bullock struggled for Los Angelas. His shooting percentage from long-range went from 39 percent for the Pistons, to only 34 percent for the Lakers on 5.2 attempts per game.
Could his struggles with the Lakers possibly lower his cost in free agency? Who knows.
The Pistons should definitely be open to bringing the former Piston back to Detroit, but I don’t think he should be their first option. The Pistons desperately need shooting after ranking 23rd in the league in three-point percentage.
Bullock would certainly address this issue, but that’s not the only issue with the Pistons wing rotation.
The Detroit Pistons seriously need to inject some athleticism into their wings for next season. This team lacks athleticism at just about every position, without including Griffin and Andre Drummond. Bruce Brown is a freak, but we don’t know if he’s going to improve this off-season to take advantage of his athletic gifts.
Along with athleticism, the Pistons need to add size to their rotation. Bullock is 6’7″ but only weighs 205 pounds. He’s not capable of guarding bigger wings, or really any wing with some size and elite offensive skill. The Pistons biggest wing was Glenn Robinson III after the trade deadline, and that was an absolute disaster.
So, while Bullock’s chemistry with Griffin and outside shooting prowess would be a great addition to this team (also, the Pistons were still a bad shooting team even when he was here), he doesn’t address what I believe to be bigger needs for this team: size and athleticism.
Bullock wouldn’t be the worst option for the Detroit Pistons, and I’d completely understand the reunion if it were to happen.
But, this should not be the Pistons first option. And if they do bring Bullock back, they better not be finished fixing their wing rotation.