As the 2021-22 NBA regular season slowly approaches, the Detroit Pistons head coach Dwane Casey will have a lot to sort out with his rotations.
The former NBA Coach of the Year winner is entering his fourth season as the head coach in Detroit. Unlike last season, Casey is entering this year with much more familiarity with his roster.
The head coach only had four holdovers from the 2019-20 season when last season began. Of those four, Blake Griffin, Derrick Rose, and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk were all traded away or bought out midseason. Only Sekou Doumbouya remains from two seasons ago, and even he appears to be on borrowed time.
With the recent contract extension for Hamidou Diallo, Casey has 12 holdovers from last year’s roster heading into the upcoming season.
Detroit Pistons: Starting lineups and closers
With much more roster continuity heading into the 2020-21 season, Casey will be able to diagnose rotational minutes and lineups much easier and quicker than he did last season. The veteran coach has coached most of this year’s roster already and he has a good understanding of their strengths, weaknesses, and situational benefits.
As Casey sorts out his rotations, the Starting, bench, and closing lineups will all come into focus early on in the season. The only real question concerning the starting and closing lineups is whether sophomore guard Killian Hayes will fit into either.
The starting and closing lineups will most likely be comprised of the first overall pick, Cade Cunningham, and either Hayes, Frank Jackson, or Hamidou Diallo joining him in the backcourt. Second-year wing Saddiq Bey will pair with last season’s MIP finalist Jerami Grant as a forward duo, and young defensive stud Isaiah Stewart will round out the lineup as the team’s center.
The bench unit will likely unfold based on which remaining players are having hot and cold stretches throughout the season.
Throughout the course of the game, Casey will not be able to strictly follow a starting, bench unit, and closing lineup structure. Situational moments in the game will require the coach to get creative and throw out other lineups as well.
Here are three potential situational lineups Casey could utilize next season.
Detroit Pistons three-point shooting lineup: Cade Cunningham, Frank Jackson, Saddiq Bey, Jerami Grant, Kelly Olynyk
The Detroit Pistons were a poor three-point shooting team last season.
That is a line many Pistons fans have heard throughout last season and this current offseason.
But it is true. The team was abysmal from beyond the arc in 2020-21. The team ranked 22nd in the league in both three-pointers made and shooting percentage from long range. As a team, Detroit shot 35.1 percent on three-pointers last season.
When Detroit is in need of three-point shooting to fight their way back into games or push a lead beyond their opponent’s reach, the team cannot afford to have players like Hayes, Doumbouya, or Josh Jackson on the court.
This lineup of Cunningham, Frank Jackson, Bey, Grant, and Olynyk removes any possible shooting liabilities from the floor.
Cunningham shot 40 percent on 5.7 three-pointers per game in his lone season with the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The 19-year-old’s shooting looks like it will seamlessly translate to the NBA level. Cunningham shot 50 percent on three-pointers during his time in the Summer League.
Having the 19-year-old rookie in this lineup will also keep a great playmaker and solid defender on the court for Detroit as well. Cunningham and Olynyk can run pick-and-pops in this lineup. This will maximize floor spacing and cause trouble for opposing defenses.
Teams will have to decide whether to bring a help defender in to stop Cunningham from driving to the basket or stay home on their man. In either situation, Cunningham will have an easy kick out to a good shooter on the perimeter, or he will have a one-on-one matchup with his defender.
Jackson was one of the few great shooters on Detroit’s roster last season. The 23-year-old was one of three Pistons players who shot over 40 percent from three on at least one three-point attempt per game. Jackson enjoyed a career year as a Piston last season. His play greatly benefited from a move to an off-ball shooting role rather than a point guard role.
The 23-year-old shot 40.7 percent from three-point range last season on 3.8 attempts per game. Jackson can thrive as an off-ball shooter. He moves well off screens and will knock down his catch-and-shoot opportunities with ease.
Bey is looking to build off of his stellar rookie season heading into 2021-22. The 22-year-old was named to the NBA’s All-Rookie first team last season, and for good reason.
Bey quickly fought his way into Detroit’s starting lineup last season. The 22-year-old shot 38 percent on 6.6 attempts from beyond the arc per game. The young wing has shown he can be a volume shooter while still knocking down his shots at an above-average percentage.
As Bey develops his cutting and on-ball scoring, he will become an even bigger offensive threat for Detroit next season.
Last year, Grant had his worst three-point shooting season since the 2017-18 season. The 27-year-old breakout star saw his efficiency dip from the floor as a whole. It comes as no big surprise. Grant shouldered the majority of Detroit’s offense last season. the journeyman turned potential all-star was the only player Casey could really rely on to get a bucket last season.
Being so heavily relied on and at times being the only one who could be relied on made Grant susceptible to a down year in his shooting efficiency. It appears that is going to change this season.
With the addition of Cunningham as an additional go-to scorer and the further development of young players like Bey and Stewart, Grant will not have to shoulder as much of the offensive load as he did last year. The 27-year-old will face less pressure from defenses next season.
In this lineup, Grant can run pick-and-pop and pick-and-rolls with Cunningham. The pair will make for a strong offensive duo in any lineup they are in. Grant can take a backseat and just become an off-ball shooter, or he can take control and be the go-to scorer in this lineup as well.
His versatility makes him a great asset to have in any lineup.
The addition of Olynyk this offseason was a clear attempt to push for better floor spacing. The Pistons dumped Mason Plumlee off to the Charlotte Hornets to make room for Olynyk on the team’s roster. While the team lost Plumlee’s playmaking from the post, Olynyk adds a three-point shooting threat from the center position that Plumlee never could.
Olynyk’s role in this lineup is obvious. Space the floor and make room for Cunningham and Grant to drive to the basket. It is that simple and it is a role Olynyk will have no issues fulfilling. The career 36.7 percent three-point shooter will space the floor and be a reliable catch-and-shoot option on kick-out passes when defenders help off him.
This lineup optimizes floor spacing without sacrificing defense or playmaking. It would come as no surprise if this situational lineup was a regular staple for Detroit game-in and game-out.
Detroit Pistons defensive lineup: Killian Hayes, Hamidou Diallo, Cade Cunningham, Jerami Grant, Saddiq Bey
The Pistons have always been a team built on great defense. Whether it’s the ‘Bad Boys’ or the ‘Goin to Work’ crew, Detroit has built its championship rosters on strong imposing defenses. As Weaver continues the restoration of his Pistons roster, building up one of the league’s best defenses will be a priority in the coming seasons.
Hayes may have his struggles with shooting efficiency and finishing at the rim, but the young 20-year-old has already shown great promise on the defensive end of the floor.
As an on-ball defender, the point guard has shown to be an aggressive and hounding defender. Hayes’ on-ball defense is very in your face and comes with a relentless attitude. The 20-year-old’s relentlessly aggressive defensive nature will make him the prime option to place on the opponent’s top-scoring options.
He may not be a shutdown defender, but he will be a genuine nuisance for any player he matches up against. Off-ball, Hayes can use his long wingspan to disrupt passing lanes and poke the ball free.
Diallo may not have been one of Detroit’s top defenders last season, but the 23-year-old wing has the athleticism necessary to be a great defender in the NBA. This may be a bit of projection, but it should come as no surprise if Diallo develops into one of the league’s more underrated defenders next season.
Cunningham’s versatility comes into play here. The 6-8 point guard has enough size to play anywhere between the one and three spots on the floor. In this lineup, Cunningham would be moving into the small forward position.
Like Hayes, Cunningham can utilize his length to intercept and tip passes. Next season he would be best utilized as an off-ball defender. As the 19-year-old inevitably goes through the growing pains of a young rookie in the NBA, he could be switched out of this lineup in favor of more proven defensive commodities. Josh Jackson or Saddiq Bey could see minutes in this lineup if Cunningham has too many defensive lapses to make him a reliable option in this lineup.
Grant is going to be a consistent defender for Detroit next season. The 27-year-old has built his career primarily as a defensive wing before he came to Detroit. Like Cunningham, Grant should not be taking on a heavy defensive load for the Pistons. He and Cunningham are too valuable on offense to be expending too much energy on the defensive end of the court.
But Grant is a good defensive player in the NBA. He can hold his own against most power forwards in the league. While he should not be too heavily relied upon on defense, Grant will still make a positive impact on his team’s defense.
Stewart was Detroit’s best defender last season. The undersized big man led the team in blocks with 86 through 68 games. He was tied with Plumlee for the team lead in defensive rating (109) and defensive win shares (2.1).
The 20-year-old should be the defensive anchor for the Detroit Pistons for years to come. He is a young developing rim protector who has switchability. Stewart is versatile and athletic enough to switch out to the perimeter and hold his own against quick and agile guards and wings.
As Stewart’s career progresses, he will have expectations of All-Defensive team honors and potential Defensive Player of the Year honors as well. He will be the defensive leader for this team and be the primary building block for the Pistons to develop their roster into one of the league’s best defenses.
This lineup maximizes Detroit’s defensive potential without losing too much on the offensive end. Cunningham and Grant may not be overutilized as defenders in this lineup, but they will both make positive impacts as help defenders and off-ball defenders.
Detroit Pistons Big lineup: Cade Cunningham, Saddiq Bey, Jerami Grant, Kelly Olynyk, Isaiah Stewart
In the era of small-ball in the modern NBA, having multiple big men on the court has mostly become a thing of the past. But there are teams that having multiple big men who can play together is a necessary lineup to have.
With teams like the Milwaukee Bucks utilizes large lineups, it is important for Detroit’s lineups to have the versatility to go big when needed. Throwing Grant and Stewart at a frontcourt of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez is a matchup that could be bullied inside.
This lineup goes big with two centers on the floor for Detroit. In the frontcourt, Stewart will match up against the bigger offensive threat on the opponent’s roster while Olynyk takes the other.
Bey at 6-7 becomes the shortest player in the lineup.
Detroit would be sacrificing quickness in this lineup. Cunningham, Bey, and Grant are not the fastest options for the one through three spots, but they are all good defenders who should not have too many issues against quick guards and wings.
This roster is also built of really good three-point shooters as well. Stewart is the weakest shooter of the group, but even he has shown promise to develop into a reliable floor spacer at some point in his career.
This lineup is really only foreseeable against teams who utilize larger lineups like the Bucks or Lakers. While pairing Olynyk and Stewart together has potential in other lineups besides this one, pairing all of Detroit’s tallest players in the same lineup might sacrifice too much quickness to be utilized on an every game basis.