What will be Detroit Pistons starting lineup: Five options

Let’s get real

Detroit Pistons general manager Troy Weaver Jr. says he will quit when he stops trying to make his team competitive. Of course, he also says the team is going through a ‘retooling’, which means it might not be title contending for a while.

Mixing those divergent philosophies will be the hard part for coach Dwane Casey.

You do not want to go all in on tanking and end up 12-60. Yes, the team gets a high draft pick, but the fans are upset and the coach gets a quick pink slip.

On the other hand, if you just play veterans trying to get the most wins, the young players will never get a chance to develop, which is not good for the future.

It is indeed a delicate balancing act. The smart move, when crafting a starting lineup, would be to combine the young players with the most upside with veterans who you are paying good money to succeed.

Based on no inside information, but basic common sense, here is what most likely will be the Pistons starting lineup on Opening Night:

The new normal

SF: Jerami Grant

PF: Blake Griffin

C: Mason Plumlee

SG: Svi Mykhailuk

PG: Killian Hayes

First off, Derrick Rose is certainly one of the top players on the team. But Casey has made it clear in the past, with his injury history, he prefers Rose to start the game on the bench to limit his minutes. This also leaves him fresh for the end of the game, when he undoubtedly will play a key role.

As for the starting frontline, Grant at small forward might not be ideal but he can play the position. Grant shoots 40% from three, so he can avoid clogging up  the middle, where Griffin and Plumlee usually operate.

Plumlee is excellent at setting screens, which should help free up Griffin (we are assuming Griffin will return to to his 2018-19 form, not this past season).

WIth three bigs starting, Mykhailuk as the best shooter on the team will get the nod at two guard. Hayes is the future. He was the No. 7 overall pick in the draft. He may not be a pure point guard but he can handle and pass well and will begin to grow into that position by starting. In games, Hayes will end up playing a lot with Rose, so that will help him mature.

Four of the starters are mortal locks. Why? Griffin, Grant and Plumlee are paid more than anyone else on the team. If they do not start, the front office looks bad. Hayes will start because he is the much-ballyhooed draft pick, and him not starting will make the front office look bad.

The front office decides who the coach is. Not saying Casey is feeling pressure to field this lineup, but he would have to meet with Weaver to explain if one of those four did not start.

And the ‘normal’ lineup could turn out as the Pistons best.

One can not forget about variables like injuries, chemistry, maturity issues that will affect lineups . There is, of course, the ever present chance Weaver could swing an in-season trade that would change things.

At some point, all five of these proposed starting lineups could eventually be used.