There has been a lot of talk about who will be in the starting lineup for the Detroit Pistons, especially in the backcourt.
Most starting lineup predictions have some combination of Cade Cunningham, Jerami Grant and Saddiq Bey, but after that is where the debate starts.
Most believe Killian Hayes will get the first chance to start with Cade, but if things don’t work out, Dwane Casey has a lot of options to pivot to, including bringing Hayes off the bench and rolling with someone who is a better fit with the number one pick.
Josh Jackson and Hamidou Diallo are two of the frontrunners if the Hayes/Cunningham experiment doesn’t work and both offer similar skills. I would say Frank Jackson is a long shot as well, but the Pistons might like him more as a boost of offense off the bench.
Both Josh Jackson and Diallo are good defenders and plus athletes with good size who struggle to shoot the ball consistently.
But there are some scenarios in which one of them will end up in the starting lineup for the Detroit Pistons.
Detroit Pistons: What if the Killian Hayes and Cade Cunningham experimenter doesn’t work?
As bad as Jackson and Diallo were shooting the ball last season, they were both miles ahead of Killian Hayes, who only played 26 games but really struggled with his shot.
Hayes is a great passer and looks like he’ll be a lockdown defender, but he is indecisive with the ball when he gets in a position to score and often passes up shots, which leads to tough passes and turnovers.
Cunningham needs to have the ball in his hands to be effective, so if the Detroit Pistons see that he is mostly standing around while Hayes is trying to make plays, the two won’t last long as a backcourt duo in the starting lineup.
The Pistons are invested in Hayes, so he’ll get the first chance, but if he falters, one of Josh Jackson or Hamidou Diallo could get the other starting guard spot.
But it will take more than Hayes struggling to hit shots to get one of Jackson or Diallo into the starting five.
Detroit Pistons: 3-point shooting from the second guard spot
One thing is certain, if the Detroit Pistons are going to improve on their 20-win season they need to shoot the ball better and that starts with the guards.
Even if Killian Hayes falters, neither Josh Jackson or Hamidou Diallo are going to be made starters unless one of them starts shooting the ball better.
Diallo did shoot 39 percent from long range for the Pistons last season but that was a small sample size on a low number of attempts per game. He is under 30 percent for his career, so until he can do it consistently, his shooting is still theoretical.
Same with Jackson, who shot just 30 percent last season and has made less than that for his career.
Killian Hayes has a higher ceiling than either of these two, so if they don’t shoot any better there is really no reason to demote him, but if one of these guys starts hitting shots consistently, Dwane Casey will have to consider them in a starting role.
Cade Cunningham needs another guard who can shoot the ball, so if any of these guys improve, that person will be the frontrunner for the starting spot as the season goes on.
Detroit Pistons: Spreading out the playmaking
Another way I could see Josh Jackson or Hamidou Diallo inserted in the starting lineup is if Dwane Casey wants to spread out his playmakers.
It’s safe to say that Cade Cunningham, Jerami Grant and Killian Hayes are the Pistons’ best playmakers, so putting Hayes with the second unit to spread some of that around is not the worst idea.
If Isaiah Stewart ends up being the starting center, then having Hayes coming off the bench to work pick-and-roll with Kelly Olynyk makes some sense, as the Olynyk’s shooting should help Hayes’ growth.
The Pistons could stagger their two young point guards so that one of them is always on the floor, which ensures the Pistons have a playmaker on the court at all times.
If this proves to be the strategy, then one of Josh Jackson or Diallo could move into the starting five, which might be the best way to allocate their various skills.
Dwane Casey has a lot of groups to consider and we’ll probably be talking about rotations and minutes at the guard spot all season unless one of these players steps up and seizes the role.