A way-too-early projection of 15-man Detroit Pistons roster

Who will be the Detroit Pistons 11 thru 15 players on their roster next season?

Since most NBA teams during the season go 11-12 deep, some of these players will be getting  minutes.

(in alphabetical order)

Tyler Cook

The much-traveled forward might have found a home in the Motor City. In just two seasons, Tyler Cook made the NBA transaction wire17 times (!).

Starting with Detroit on a 10-day contract, Cook played with intensity and toughness, just the qualities the Pistons like in their players.

And the 6-foot-8, 255-pounder out of Iowa loves to dunk. No question about his athleticsm:

Dunking the ball Cook is good at, shooting from the three-point line? Not so much. He only attempted two three’s in his 28 games with Detroit.

But Cook is a hustler, not afraid to bang bodies and has a non-stop motor. He has a non-guaranteed contract for the minimum. No reason not to keep on the team.

Saben Lee

The 6-foot-2 rookie point guard would normally have spent most of the season with Grand Rapids Drive of the G-League. But, as the season went on, and the Pistons point guard options dwindled, Saben Lee started to get some time with the big club.

Lee took advantage of the opportunity. He showed an ability to handle the ball under pressure and attack the rim. Lee also showed a good chemistry playing with Killian Hayes in the backcourt.

Oh, and he can dunk too:

The reason Lee fell to the second round of the draft was that he is not a good outside shooter. He certainly improved as the season went along, but he still finished with a below-average 34.8% shooting percentage from three.

No doubt Lee will work on his outside shot. Also, no doubt he will be on the team next year.

Mike Muscala

Troy Weaver likes players he is familiar with. The Pistons have no centers who are consistent outside shooters. Mike Muscala is a good, outside shooting big man who played for Oklahoma City when Weaver was there.

Sometimes one plus one does equal two.

Assuming Mason Plumlee, Isaiah Stewart and Jahlil Okafor return at center. That is a lot of good passing, rebounding and low-post scoring provided by the trio.

Three-pointers? Not so much.

Muscala is a veteran 6-10 center/power forward who hit 37% of his three-point attempts last season. There are times when coach Casey may want to open the lane for slashing scorers like Jerami Grant and Hamiduo Diallo.

A big body who can play on the perimeter is something that could prove valuable, as Detroit attempts to improve on this year’s 20-52 record.

Jahlil Okafor

How about the former No. 3 overall draft pick as the third-string center? Why not?

Jahlil Okafor lost the backup center position to Isaiah Stewart and then had knee surgery. He returned for the final month but coach Dwane Casey said Okafor still was not completely recovered.

He did provide the Pistons with a low-post offensive option. When Okafor shot, he usually made it, sporting a 61.8% shooting percentage.

Okafor is under contract for 2021-22 (for a reasonable $2.1 million) so you can pretty much count on him returning.

 Deividas Sirvydis

After sitting on the bench almost the entire season, Deividas Sirvydis finally got some playing time at the very end. He took advantage of the opportunity and had some good games.

He had eight points against the Philadelphia 76ers in just 24 minutes before he had to leave the game due to injury. He went on to post 16 points against the Denver Nuggets.

Sirvydis is a 6-foot-8 guard with a reputation as an outside shooter (sort of future Svi Mykhailiuk). He is just going to be 21-years-old when training camp starts up. The team could certainly use some outide snipers.

Casey has said he would like Sirvydis to add weight (he is listed at 190 pounds) and wants him to gain playing experience by being with the Cruise a lot.

Sirvydis has a guaranteed contract, and, if he was on the roster this year, no reason he should not be next year.