Do the Detroit Pistons really need 7 centers?

Where have all the centers gone? To Detroit.

First of all, the Detroit Pistons are not the only ones looking to sign Kelly Olynyk and Nerlens Noel. Detroit, thanks to its recent moves, has more salary cap space then most NBA teams, but it is certainly not a slam dunk that both are coming.

Playing time issues would certainly have to be involved. Are they here to back up Stewart at center and Grant at the ‘4’, or will they be given a chance to compete for a starting job? Money is, of course, very important, but everyone wants to play.

Let us put our reality hat on and project what will happen with the potential 7 Detroit Pistons centers.

1. Isaiah Stewart (play backup center and power forward … this year)
2. Jahlil Okafor (one year left on deal, solid third-string center)
3. Jerami Grant (starts power forward, goes to center if matchup right in game)
4. Nerlens Noel (never see him, re-signs with Knicks)
5. Kelly Olynyk (starting center to open up middle for Cunningham)
6. Luka Garza (takes two-way contract, see him mostly at Wayne State with Cruise)
7. Balsa Koprivica (Exhibit 10 contract, pay him well to play G-League, see how he develops)

So, in the end, the Pistons will end up with two pure centers (Stewart, Okafor) and two outside shooting big guys (Olynyk, Grant). Basically, the Pistons just swap Plumlee for Olynyk.

It used to be that, to win an NBA championship, you had to have a dominant post player. Beginning in the 1950s with George Mikan’s Lakers to the early 2000s with Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan, virtually every team (that did not have Michael Jordan) that won a title had a really good center or low-post scoring power forward.

With three-point shooting came to be emphasized, the center position became greatly devalued. But now that big men are back in vogue, the Pistons are certainly following the trend.

And how! Detroit might try to roll a lucky 7.