Detroit Pistons stock exchange: Who moved up or down in Pistons 116-110 win over Charlotte Hornets

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Sekou Doumbouya

He’s only 18 years old. He’s only 18 years old. This must be the mantra for Pistons’ fans when it comes to Sekou Doumbouya. He is not only the youngest rookie in the NBA, but is adjusting to a new language and culture, which must be difficult.

That being said, it was disappointing to see how little playing time Doumbouya got in the preseason, especially in the final game. This seemed like a great opportunity to get the rookie some big minutes against a terrible Charlotte team that was missing half its starters. Instead Doumbouya saw just two minutes of action.

Dwane Casey’s choice to not feature Doumbouya in the final game was somewhat baffling, especially considering that he didn’t have many options at small forward. Doumbouya’s absence from the rotation is not a catastrophe, but likely means he will start the season in the G League. This isn’t a huge shock and I don’t think many Pistons’ fans were expecting the rookie to play much in his first season, but many of us were hoping he’d show enough in preseason to get a shot at the rotation.

It’s far too early to judge Detroit’s promising youngster and hopefully he’ll play so well in the G League that Detroit will have no choice but to bring him up. Fans will be watching closely, as Doumbouya’s development is crucial to the future of this team.

Joe Johnson

I have nothing personal against Joe Johnson, but he should not be on this team. If Detroit decides to keep Johnson, it means cutting another, much younger player. Johnson has not shown anything in the preseason to warrant a spot and please miss me with all the “Veteran Leadership” clichés.

It’s difficult to figure out what to make of Johnson’s preseason. His lack of minutes could mean he already has a spot sewn up or that he never had one to begin with. With rumors circulating that upstart Christian Wood is going to make the team, it likely comes down to Johnson or Khyri Thomas for the final roster spot.

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While Thomas is hardly a world-beater, it would be insane for the Pistons to cut him for the 38-year-old Johnson who has no place in the modern NBA. Keeping Johnson over Thomas would be a big failure on the part of the front office and one Pistons’ fans will not forgive if Thomas goes on to become a productive player on another team a la Khris Middleton or Spencer Dinwiddie.

Johnson did score 8 points in 14 minutes but again looked slow and out of place. Johnson’s supporters keep talking about his leadership and savvy, but I’ll take talent over vague abstractions any day and Thomas is simply better at this stage in their respective careers.

Neither of them is going to move the needle for Detroit so why not take a chance on youth? The front office has a difficult choice to make and one that will be symbolic of how this management team hopes to build a roster. Will they opt for youth and potential or try to patch holes with over-the-hill veterans?

It should be an interesting couple of days.