With Cade Cunningham in the fold, there are a lot of different starting lineups the Detroit Pistons could employ this season. His versatility, after all, is one of the reasons general manager Troy Weaver took him.
At the introductory press conference for the draft choices, Detroit Pistons coach Dwane Casey left some tantalizing hints at what kind of lineups the team could use with the addition of No. 1 draft pick Cade Cunningham.
Casey talked about how Cunningham could play any position 1 thru 3. The 6-foot-8, 220-pound Oklahoma State product can handle and pass the ball like a point guard, hit threes like a shooting guard and has the physicality to play small forward in the NBA.
Casey also dropped the possibility of Olympian Jerami Grant playing the center position. With the trade of Mason Plumlee, minutes are suddenly available at that position.
Since general manager Troy Weaver has said he does not expect to have many roster spots for new free agents, what you see now is pretty much what the Pistons will have this season. That means is certainly not too early who will be in the Pistons starting lineup.
In looking at the roster, it is easy to see there are three main possibilities for Casey to roll out as Detroit’s starting five.
No matter which way Casey wants to go, two things are in concrete:
- Jerami Grant will be a starter. His position might be fluid but … the guy is on the flippin’ USA Olympic team.
- Cade Cunningham will start. He can play many positions but … the guy was the flippin No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft.
Let us look and see if the Pistons want to start Big, Small-ball or keep it simple stupid lineup options.
The Detroit Pistons go Big
If the Pistons, as it appears they do with the trade of Mason Plumlee, want to make Isaiah ‘Beef Stew’ Stewart will be the starting center. Since Stewart is only 6-foot-8 (although with a 7-foot wingspan), coach Casey might want to surround him with a lot of height.
Considering the last two NBA champions, the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers, started big lineups (Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis played forward, not center), it appears the league is trending back into tall players being important.
Detroit might not win an NBA title this season, but it would not hurt to start a lineup pointed toward future playoff success:
- Point guard: Cade Cunningham
- Shooting guard: Hamidou Diallo
- Center: Isaiah Stewart
- Power Forward: Jerami Grant
- Small Forward: Saddiq Bey
In this lineup, Diallo is the shortest starter at 6-foot-5. But he is extremely athletic, and Diallois extremely versatile on the defensive end. If there is a small, fast point guard (like a Trae Young) on the other team, Diallo could handle them.
The one weakness that Cunningham might have is that he is not an elite athlete. Diallo is, so on the defensive end, they could switch up defensive assignments quite easily.
As for Killian Hayes, last year’s No. 7 overall pick? Well, if he is on the court, then Cade does not have the ball in his hands as much, as he was the team’s starting point guard. Do you want opponents have to figure out how to deal with a 6-foot-8, 220-pound guard who can pass and shoot with equal ability, or give it to the guy who shot 35-percent from the floor last year.
Hayes can certainly contribute, particularly if he has improved his offense. Yes, there has been plenty of talk about how Hayes and Cunningham can play together. Can they? Sure. Should they? No.
If Cunningham can handle the ball and pass as well as Hayes, what is the point? He is a much better shooter and Diallo starting gives the Pistons a stronger lineup on defense.
Diallo is also expected to sign for a significant amount of money this off-season to stay with the Pistons. Are they really going to pay him $10-12 million to be a sub?