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What will be Detroit Pistons starting lineup: Five options

By Stuart London

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 04: Dwane Casey head coach of the Detroit Pistons looks on in the first half against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on January 04, 2020 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 04: Dwane Casey head coach of the Detroit Pistons looks on in the first half against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on January 04, 2020 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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Coach Dwane Casey is starting with virtually a whole new roster.  He will have a lot of options to make out a starting lineup. Here are five takes on a starting 5.

Whatever you knew about the Detroit Pistons from last year, can be basically forgotten. With only four players returning, there are a bunch of new faces with new plusses and negatives to their game.

That the team will be a work in progress is probably an understatement. Considering that coach Dwane Casey will never have seen most of the players in action, except on film, until the start of training camp on December 1, there will be a feeling out period at the start.

One of the major ways to gain insight into what the coaching staff and upper management are thinking about the players, is to see what the starting lineup will be.

It is pretty simple. If a player is starting, they are obviously someone the coach feels can handle going against the opponent’s best.

If it is a young player starting, they are someone tabbed as a valuable asset for the future. An organization could also be employing the ‘sink or swim’ theory.

A team could feel a promising player looking good against an opponent’s second-string does not prove anything.

As a starter, they will be on the same floor as the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Durant and James Harden. If a player has a weakness, it will be exposed. On the other hand, if they can hold their own, it is a positive sign they could be a foundational piece for the future.

Of course, this is professional basketball. Coaches are not tasked to impart life lessons or help guys grow as people like high school or even college ball. The objective is to win as many games as possible.

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With the top 10 teams in the Eastern Conference now making the post-season due to the new play-in tournament, the Pistons, who were two games out of ninth last season, have a realistic chance at the playoffs if they try hard to win.

There are so many ways Casey could go with a starting lineup.  He could attempt to win-now, play the kids, do a little of both. And with a boatload of new talent, there are many different variations, no matter which way he chooses to go.

Here are five possible starting lineups for the Detroit Pistons, examining each way the organization could move forward this season.

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