Preseason for the Detroit Pistons has come to a close and the last bids for a roster spot have been made. Here’s three players who shined this preseason and why they could see increased roles in 2019-20.
Conceptually, preseason is enough to infuriate the nihilist in all of us. However, the beginning to the Detroit Pistons 2019-20 campaign is just around the corner, and, while each new season brings a level of excitement, this year’s hype feels different.
After an off season in which the Pistons front office was unexpectedly active given its financial limits, it was able to address points of concern regarding roster depth, contract burdens, and even made unexpected moves on draft night. All in all, fans were seemingly left surprised and happy, but there were a lot of questions about how it would all play out.
Will Andre Drummond play with the same fire he showed at times near the end of last season? How will Reggie Jackson look after his first fully healthy off season in recent memory? Who’s Tony Snell? Are you trying to tell me that that’s not Marcus Morris again? Will first round draft pick Sekou Doumbouya surprise us by immediately living up to his hype?
A five-game preseason allowed fans a glimpse at what this new-look Pistons team is all about. And head coach Dwane Casey certainly gave fans a thorough glimpse at that.
With a radically different roster, the preseason showed that Casey is still working through various lineups. While this caused frustration at times, it allowed extended playing time to players who might not see it during the regular season an opportunity to earn regular season minutes.
The preseason ended on Wednesday, and the Pistons came out the other end with a shaky 3-2 record. However, there were glimpses of grit and determination. Derrick Rose was hyper-focused. An awkward bench unit helped mount a late-game come back (and hold off for the win) against Cleveland.
With preseason over, and the regular season just around the corner, here are three players, I think, could see increased roles during this upcoming season.