PistonPowered
Fansided

Detroit Pistons 2019-20 preview: Tim Frazier’s profile

By Aaron Ferguson

Detroit Pistons Tim Frazier. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Detroit Pistons Tim Frazier. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 4
Next
DETROIT, MI – APRIL 22: Tim Frazier #12 of the Milwaukee Bucks goes to the basket past Khyri Thomas #13 of the Detroit Pistons during the second half of Game Four of the first round of the 2019 NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena on April 22, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI – APRIL 22: Tim Frazier #12 of the Milwaukee Bucks goes to the basket past Khyri Thomas #13 of the Detroit Pistons during the second half of Game Four of the first round of the 2019 NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena on April 22, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) /

Setting Frazier’s 2019-20 expectations

If the point guard position stays healthy, Frazier will likely see limited time in competitive games. Given Jackson’s and Rose’s injury history, however, Frazier may be thrust into action even if it’s due to load management on a regular basis.

Frazier could spell the duo in games, to limit their minutes and keep them healthy through the postseason. It’s somewhat of an unknown at this point but Frazier could play around 10-12 minutes per game.

Another way to allocate point guard minutes is to play Frazier with another point guard, similarly to what Casey did with two-point guard lineups with the Toronto Raptors.

light. Related Story. Will Dwane Casey feature more two-point guard lineups in year two?

Once he gets on the floor, he will be a mix between the production provided by Ish Smith and Jose Calderon. Frazier is more like Smith in that they’re both average on both ends of the court, in terms of win shares and box plus-minus. He’s similar to Calderon in that he has a decent assist rate (31.1 for his career) but also a high turnover rate (20.4 for his career).

One question surrounding Frazier’s game is his ability to consistently stretch the floor. He hit 3-pointers at a career-best 36.6 percent clip last season but that was three percentage points better than his next-best season, which occurred in 2015-16.

Frazier has shown a high-IQ, knowing where his teammates are at when he drives to the ball, reading a rotation and dumping off to a big man, or kicking out to an open teammate. That’s another asset that makes him playing in a two-point guard lineup attractive. It will also alleviate some of the pressure of consistently handling the ball each possession.

If Frazier is thrust into the starting rotation or a more significant workload, then the Pistons season may not be going as planned or Jackson could be traded at some point, as Detroit News beat writer Rod Beard suggested in his weekly mailbag. But if he is elevated to a larger role, Frazier has handled it before and can facilitate the offense from the point.

Home/Pistons News