The Detroit Pistons’ preseason has ended and the last bids for roster spots have been made. Here are three players who could see decreased roles in 2019-20.
The Detroit Pistons played their final preseason game Wednesday (a 116-110 win over the Charlotte Hornets) and the regular season is set to begin next Wednesday, October 23 on the road against the Indiana Pacers.
Following one of the most active offseasons in recent Pistons memory, the regular excitement that precedes a new season feels heightened this year. Points of need were addressed and young, promising talent was brought on through luck and unexpected draft night moves. The team is longer, deeper, and generally looks and feels different from last year’s.
The preseason allowed fans their first opportunity to see this new-look roster in action, and while the team’s performance was shaky at best, head coach Dwane Casey’s lineup experiments gave a thorough look into who some of these new faces are and what they bring to the table.
Some players shined, some failed to live up to expectations, and some players weren’t given the chance some fans had hoped to see.
If you thought Sekou Doumbouya or Khyri Thomas had any chance to be rotation players for the #Pistons this season, the preseason has shut that down right quick
— Matt Schoch (@Matt_Schoch_) October 16, 2019
With one cut left to be made before the team’s roster is finalized at 15, rumors are flying about who that final cut will be.
While I don’t make an argument as to who’s on the chopping block, using the preseason as a foundation, I argue three players who could see lessened roles this upcoming season. However, not all of these roles are lessened for negative reasons or because of poor preseason performance.
Instead, I argue that strong performances by some newbies this preseason will allow Casey the freedom to rework how his lineups operate (something he’s clearly still working through if the preseason is any indicator).