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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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Detroit Pistons
Derrick Rose and Blake Griffin (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

Win now!

The Detroit Pistons are coming off a 20-46 season. It might have gotten even worse if the pandemic had not stopped play while the Detroit Pistons were in the midst of a terrible losing streak.

Winning is something loyal Pistons fans are desperately waiting for. The team has not won a playoff game since 2008. They are now asked for more  patience while they ‘retool’ once again.

It might be time to stop all that. The directive to coach Dwane Casey should be: Win! Win every game you can. Do not worry about development, or who has the biggest contract.

Just win baby!

Related Story. The Detroit Pistons are relevant in the NBA again. light

The edict would come from above (by which we mean GM Troy Weaver and owner Tom Gores) to Casey: Go all out to win every game.

If a young player will not help you win, bench him. If a veteran with a big contract fails to perform, bench him too.

Milwaukee and Boston will face the full fury of a Detroit squad intent on knocking them off. No ‘moral victories’, just real wins wanted.

Here is the starting lineup to achieve maximum victory totals:

Just win baby lineup

SF: Saddiq Bey

PF: Jerami Grant

C: Blake Griffin

PG: Derrick Rose

SG: Svi Mykhailuk/Delon Wright

The big news in this is Griffin moving to center. He prefers playing at the forward position. I prefer seeing $1 million on my doorstep, but we are going to have to both be disappointed.

Griffin is 6-9, 250-pounds, almost the same size as Miami center Bam Adebayo, so he really would not even be considered a small-ball center. Heck, Christian Wood played center for Detroit last season and weighed 40 pounds less. He is coming off knee surgery so he might not be as mobile as before.

Griffin may not be happy about the move to center. But if you are talking all that matters is winning, it is the way to go.

As for shooting guard, it depends on what kind of system coach Casey wants to run, as to who should start. If he is looking for more speed and defense, Wright might be the choice. Mykhailuk might be better if looking for more consistent shooting from outside.

As for Bey as a starter, he already boasts the maturity of a veteran and should fit in seamlessly with the other starters.

With this starting lineup, and a decent bench of Killian Hayes, Mason Plumlee and Wayne Ellington, the Pistons could probably reach, realistically,  the No. 7 position in the Eastern Conference.

That normally would get them in a first-round series with the No. 2 seed but, this year, they will have to be in the play-in tournament to get into the first round.

The season would certainly be more interesting than the last one, with this lineup.

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