Detroit Pistons: One legitimate concern with some of our rookies

One growing concern looms over the Detroit Pistons rookies as the season approaches.

The Detroit Pistons came away with one of their more successful drafts in recent history a few weeks ago, with the Killian Hayes headlining their haul. Additionally, they selected Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart, and Saben Lee.

It goes without say that Hayes will see consistent minutes, as it’s largely expected that he’ll be Detroit’s starter on day one.

However beyond Hayes, there is certainly some room for concern. We can almost definitively say that Stewart will also see some regular playing time, despite the Pistons loading up on centers early in free agency.

They’ve since alleviated the clutter in the front court, and it feels like a sure thing to say that we’ll see Stewart on a relatively consistent basis. That’s the hope, anyway.

The G-League has announced that they plan on holding a bubble (likely in Atlanta) for any G-League team who chooses to participate this year. The Grand Rapids Drive however, will not be participating.

The reason this is worth mentioning is because in any other season, if a certain player isn’t getting enough playing time or isn’t improving in the ways Detroit would hope, they get sent to Grand Rapids.

It happened with Luke Kennard, Bruce Brown, and Sekou Doumbouya all within the last few years.

So if it comes to pass that the Pistons haven’t carved out enough time in the rotation, you don’t want players like Bey or Lee collecting dust. Admittedly, under normal circumstances, Lee likely wouldn’t be getting much playing time as it is, but the principle remains the same.

Detroit brought in a ton of guys who play the 3 or 4, and you wonder where exactly Bey is supposed to fit in the equation. You didn’t pay Jerami Grant $60 million to sit on the bench, Blake Griffin is self explanatory, you’re still trying to develop Sekou, and even someone like Dzanan Musa may get some minutes.

It’s at this point that you wonder if without the G-League this season, are some players going to end up collecting dust? Is there a reality where they figure out an alternative solution?

Dwane Casey notoriously loves to play “lineup roulette”, where he sends out upwards of 30 different lineup combinations over a five-game span. In doing this, we’ll be able to figure out a more definitive fit for someone like Bey in the rotation.

He was a first round draft pick in a year where the Pistons have emphasized their dedication to development. That on it’s own tells you that one way or another, this will get figured out.

But as it stands, you can’t help but wonder what the plan is.