The Detroit Pistons may be near the bottom of the NBA but they are an entertaining team with plenty to play for.
Not only are they trying to secure a top pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, but they have a number of players who are competing for future roster spots.
There are at least three positional battles that will play out over the remainder of the season that will determine who gets traded, re-signed or allowed to walk in free agency.
Two new faces are already making their case to be part of the roster next season, one guy is just trying to get on the floor and a trio of point guards continue to battle it out for minutes.
Aside from the draft, these battles will be the most important stories heading into the offseason.
Here are three internal competitions to watch and who is currently winning.
Detroit Pistons: Tyler Cook vs. Sekou Doumbouya
Tyler Cook just signed his second 10-day contract with the Detroit Pistons and has played well enough to earn himself some minutes.
Cook only played 13 minutes against the Raptors but was able to grab six rebounds and add two assists and a steal to his three points.
Cook has showed enough to continue to get minutes and since he is only 23-years-old, might be worth a flyer for the Detroit Pistons heading into next season.
Sekou Doumbouya is a guy who I’d love to see actually get some playing time but he caught another DNP against the Raptors.
He is clearly in Dwane Casey’s doghouse, as the second-year player can’t get off the bench even though the Pistons are rebuilding and not really even trying to win these games.
It’s disappointing that Doumbouya hasn’t progressed this season and that he has already lost his mop-up duty minutes to a guy the Pistons just grabbed off the street.
That isn’t a good sign for Doumbouya, who very well may be traded in the offseason.
Advantage: Tyler Cook
Detroit Pistons: HamidoDiallo vs. Josh Jackson
When the Pistons traded for Diallo, I immediately thought he was going to be a steal.
He showed what he can do last night against the Raptors, bringing energy off the bench, improving the defense and rebounding like a maniac.
Hamidou Diallo finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds and three assists against the Raptors while Josh Jackson was watching from the bench.
Pistons’ fans have been unjustly enamored with Jackson this season, most because he is from Detroit and fans tend to love guys who their team “rehabbed” after being bad for other franchises.
But the truth is that Jackson hasn’t been that good, and if he were on a good team, he wouldn’t be playing as much as he has. He still can’t shoot at all, and turns the ball over way too much.
His defense and energy are nice, as is his size, but Diallo has all of those things as well but is a better playmaker and takes care of the ball.
Jackson has been a nice story but Pistons’ fans need to stop with the hyperbole about how good he has been because he’s been pretty mediocre.
My guess is that Jackson will be moved in the offseason and Diallo will be re-signed. With the money they saved in the Delon Wright trade, the Pistons should have the room to extend Diallo, especially if they move on from Jackson.
Advantage: Hamidou Diallo
Detroit Pistons: Saben Lee vs. Dennis Smith Jr. vs. Frank Jackson
This battle has been raging since Killian Hayes went down with injury and heated up when Delon Wright was hurt and then traded.
It is possible that two of the three of these players will be on the roster next season, as the Pistons will likely keep three point guards.
Saben Lee has played well, especially as a starter and has shown maturity beyond his years running the team. He is already a decent defender and can get to the rim and finish, so if he can just add some range to his jumper, he’ll be a solid backup in this league.
Dennis Smith Jr. is another guy that Pistons’ fans are overly high on, as he has not really played well outside of a few flashes and has all of the same issues that had him glued to the Knicks’ bench.
Frank Jackson has played well when called upon and if he continues to be consistent from the 3-point line, he too could be a solid backup, as he can play and defend both guard spots.
If I had to guess, I’d say DSJ will not be a Piston next season and that they will instead go with Lee and Jackson who have both been better.
Advantage: Lee over Jackson over DSJ
The Detroit Pistons may not win many more games but these positional battles will be something to watch, as they have some talented players but not enough future spots for them.