Does Pistons training camp battle between Joe Johnson and Christian Wood have subplot?

The Detroit Pistons need the best 15 players to make the roster, which is why training camp may not come down to Joe Johnson or Christian Wood.

Sometimes there are storylines within storylines, such as the Joe Johnson versus Christian Wood debate, that have other factors tied into them.

One that seems logical is the veteran presence of Johnson in the locker room against the inexperience of Wood. However, Wood has proven that he’s better than what the G-League has to offer. He’s proven that he belongs in the NBA, having dominated a short stretch last season in New Orleans.

But the biggest factor that may determine whether or not Johnson or Wood makes the roster is how Wood battles against Thon Maker. Those two are likely competing for backup center minutes and both have a chip on their shoulder.

For Maker, he’s not satisfied with the narrative that he gets bullied around and now he’s determined to silence the critics. For Wood, it’s about getting a true shot at a NBA roster spot and consistent role for a whole season.

Johnson provides a leadership boost to the roster but he doesn’t figure to factor into a large role in the rotation, if at all. The Pistons have several deficiencies at the small forward position and there’s no telling how much Johnson, who, admittedly, dominated the Big3 3-on-3 league, has left in the tank.

It could be an easy cut, if not for the leadership, but there’s no telling what Casey and Pistons personnel saw in the private workout that landed him on the roster.

The competition at hand is for the backup center minutes, the other glaring weakness the Pistons have. When the Pistons claimed Wood off free agency waivers, it was a low-risk, high-reward type of move that will bring on the best in both Maker and Wood.

But it’s also insurance to make the best decision for the roster moving forward. Casey’s goal is to find the 15 best players on the roster, regardless of whether they enter training camp with a guaranteed, non-guaranteed or partially-guaranteed contract. It’s the front office’s job to shift the contracts around if need be.

Maker, 22, has received meaningful minutes in his short NBA career. The fourth-year, 7-foot-1 center is set to become a restricted free agent at season’s end and will need to prove himself to earn his next contract, having struggled.

He hasn’t had the 3-point shooting touch has been inconsistent through three seasons, hitting at a 37.8 percent rate but has since averaged out at 32.6 percent from 3-point range. Despite being bullied around, which he believes is bound to change in 2019-20, he’s been more productive on the defensive end, but he’s still a below-average player with an 11.4 Player Efficiency Rating (15 PER is league average).

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Wood, 23, made his NBA debut before Maker, believe it or not, but has yet to stick in the league. In over 2,000 fewer minutes played, Wood has been wildly efficient with a 57.4 percent true shooting percentage and 18.9 PER.

Even if he stayed consistent with his 5.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per game with shooting splits of .492/.310/.707, Wood would be a more productive player than Maker in win shares by the time he reached 200 games.

How the battle shakes out will be interesting. Maker enters a contract year and Wood would save the Pistons money at $822,000, provided they move someone’s more expensive contract without having to cut the player.

It’s one of the underlying storylines entering training camp that could impact whether or not Johnson makes the team. It’s possible all three could make the team and someone else would be moved.

But the backup center minutes are up for grabs, seemingly in a battle between Maker and wood.