If you have watched the Detroit Pistons this season then you know that they can’t shoot.
Their offense has been terrible, especially the 3-point shooting and it got even worse when the Pistons traded Svi Mykhailiuk for Hamidou Diallo.
Diallo is an über-athletic and long defender who plays above the rim, provides energy but struggles shooting the ball.
If this sounds familiar it is because the Detroit Pistons already have a very similar player in Josh Jackson, who unlike Diallo, is signed for next season.
The Pistons probably wouldn’t have trade for Diallo if they didn’t want to re-sign him long term, so the question is whether Jackson and Diallo can play together or if one of them has to go.
Detroit Pistons: It will be tough to play Diallo and Jackson together
The Pistons already have trouble spacing the floor, as they really only have Saddiq Bey and Wayne Ellington to worry about on the 3-point line.
They have no shortage of guys who are athletic but not many shooters, especially off the bench.
With Saben Lee also playing big minutes and not able to shoot much, the Pistons second unit can be defended just by packing the lane and daring them to shoot.
Can Lee, Diallo and Jackson be on the floor at the same time? The answer is no, not unless one of them gets much better at shooting the ball.
With Diallo and Jackson projected to play the same position and role on the team, it makes sense to move on from one of them in favor of some shooting.
That player is probably Jackson, who has had a decent comeback season but has been quietly awful as of late and would probably be easy to move in the offseason.
He’ll be making just over $5 million, which is money the Pistons could use elsewhere, re-signing Diallo for one, but also trying to find some players who can provide the three as well as the D.
Troy Weaver obviously likes Diallo, as he was part of the team that drafted him, so I’d say it’s his position to lose as long as he plays well down the stretch.
I love the idea of building a team of athletic guys who prioritize defense but eventually you have to score the ball to win games, so Josh Jackson and Hamidou Diallo may be redundant.
The rest of the season is their competition for a future roster spot.