What will be Detroit Pistons’ best small-ball lineup in 2019-20?

With the increasing number of small-ball lineups around the NBA, here’s a look at what the best Detroit Pistons lineup could be to match up in 2019-20.

The Golden State Warriors reign at the top of the NBA might be over, but their influence surely is not.

Specifically when it comes to small-ball lineups.

This is a trend that will continue to become a staple in the league as more teams look for ways to maximize spacing and mismatches. Golden State has had the personnel to be the most effective in this venture, but they surely aren’t the only team who is looking for more ways to go small.

I will use this piece to examine what could become Dwane Casey and the Pistons best small-ball lineup this season.

Despite limited cap space, the Pistons were able to add versatility to their roster this offseason which should help unlock the small-ball options that weren’t possible the last few seasons.

The key of being able to play small is spacing, versatility and passing. When the Warriors rolled out their Death or Hamptons 5 lineups they had a roster of five guys who stretched defenses and blitzed opponents. What really unlocked those lineups was having a player like Draymond Green; a player who can guard the center position, switch every screen if needed, then turn around and lead the break on offense.

And while the Pistons don’t have anyone with the defensive versatility of Green we do have a player in Blake Griffin who brings an offensively versatility much like, and even better than, the Warriors forward.

So when looking at the best small-ball lineup Detroit can roll out it, it all starts with Griffin.

The versatile power forward has developed a consistent 3-point shot and still has the bully ball mentality that starts with a high post and Griffin spinning and twisting his way into the lane.

A lot of guys can use their size and athletic ability to take advantage of mismatches and score. What sets Griffin apart is his passing ability. He lead the team with 5.4 assists per game last season and a lot of those passes start with Griffin drawing a double team before finding the open man.

Most of this happened with Griffin sharing the court with Andre Drummond. In fact, the two big men played 1,980 minutes together last season, the most of any Pistons duo.

If the Pistons decide to try and play small more this season, it seems like sliding Griffin over to the center position would be the best way to unlock the most versatile lineup. This isn’t to suggest that Drummond should lose minutes, or get the Hassan Whiteside treatment,  but maybe Casey will tinker with splitting his two bigs up a bit more.

If Griffin were to get plugged into the center spot, the Pistons could roll out a small-ball lineup that would like something like this:

Point Guard: Reggie Jackson

Shooting Guard: Derrick Rose

Small Forward: Luke Kennard

Power Forward: Tony Snell/Markieff Morris

Center: Blake Griffin

This combination would give Detroit a solid mix of 3-point shooting, driving and ball handling. If this lineup is ever featured, I have it in mind that Griffin would be the catalyst on offense and everyone would play off of his game.

The set could start with a player setting a high screen for Griffin and getting him a mismatch. Griffin has the rare ability to start a post-up well outside of the paint and work his way into a foul or favorable shot near the rim. Detroit could also run the set with Griffin getting the ball on the block and working a more traditional post-up. This would allow the other four players to spot up or cut towards the basket, depending on how the defense reacts.

He was effective in this style while sharing the court with Drummond. Imagine if you replaced him with someone who was a threat on the 3-point line. It would force teams to make a tough decision.

Take your chances with Griffin charging towards the basket – he lead the team and was sixth in the NBA with 7.3 free throws attempts per game last season – or double Griffin and let him kick it out to Kennard or Snell on the wing.

More from Pistons News

• Which Detroit Pistons could save Team USA in the Olympics?
• Detroit Pistons could have major roster churn after 2023-24 season
• The best Detroit Pistons to wear each uniform number
• Full Detroit Pistons NBA 2K24 ratings
• Detroit Pistons: Who will sign the remaining NBA free agents?

That still leaves Jackson, who shot a career best 36.9 percent on 5.7 attempts per game from deep last season. While health questions remain, it appears Jackson is coming into this season at full strength in a contract year. 

Teams still have to account for Rose, who like Jackson, has had his share of health questions. And while Rose looked all but done two seasons ago, he had a bounce back year in Minnesota and showed that he still has the ability to be a force on the offensive end.

This combination would give Detroit its best mix of shooting, penetrating and passing.

Dwane Casey isn’t afraid to play non-traditional lineups. In his last season in Toronto, his second most used five-man combination was a three-guard front of C.J. Miles, Delon Wright and Fred VanVleet, coupled with Pascal Siakam and Jakob Poltl in the front court. That lineup shot more 3’s on average than the starters and scored at a more effective clip. 

Casey had to try to work these combinations around his star DeMar DeRozan, who wanted no part of shooting from distance.

Now Casey’s best player is comfortable with playing beyond the arc and he has a roster that has more potential to play to those strengths. Detroit essentially swapped Jon Leuer and Henry Ellenson’s spots for Snell, Morris and Thon Maker.

Basically, Detroit took two guys who couldn’t get on the floor and replaced them with ones who should see extended minutes.

If Casey wants to get creative this season, which he has in the past, he has a lot more options.

More from PistonPowered

• Which Detroit Pistons could save Team USA in the Olympics?
• Detroit Pistons could have major roster churn after 2023-24 season
• The best Detroit Pistons to wear each uniform number
• Full Detroit Pistons NBA 2K24 ratings
• Detroit Pistons: Who will sign the remaining NBA free agents?

There would of course probably be defensive issues if this lineup saw extended minutes together. The rim protection and rebounding of Drummond would be sorely missed. It would be a lot to ask Griffin to bang with a center on defense and then turn around and take that same abuse in the paint on offense.

If lack of size was too much of an issue, Detroit could slot Morris, Michael Beasley or Maker into the power forward spot, bumping Snell and Kennard down to the wings and using a more traditional one-point guard set. This would give them more size on defense and still keep plenty of shooting on the floor.

Depending on how the Pistons look deploying smaller lineups could also set the course for the future of the team. It appears that Drummond might decline his player option this summer and test free agency.

Would the Pistons let him walk and focus their attention on a cheaper center so they have increased money to go after shooters? Would they try to construct a roster that maximizes Griffin’s window if he looks effective playing more minutes at center?

These questions might be too hypothetical at this point, but it’s something to think about as we count down the days to the NBA season. All questions aside, Detroit has more options when it comes to playing small ball this season, if they should choose to go down that path.

Which small-ball lineup would you deploy if you were Casey? Let us know in the comments or by joining the conversation on the Piston Powered Facebook page and on Twitter @PistonPowered.