We’ve finally made it! This week Detroit Pistons training camp starts and we will be one step closer to meaningful basketball.
Today is media day and there are a number of questions we’d like to ask the players and coaches, some of which relate to recent roster moves.
The Pistons have finalized their roster after moving Luka Garza from a two-way contract to a full-time deal and promoting Jamorko Pickett to his vacated two-way spot.
The Pistons now have the maximum 15 players plus their two-way contracts, so it’s highly unlikely that there will be any additional roster moves, though you can never count on this with Troy Weaver at the helm.
There are still several players who will try to earn their way onto the team via the G-League including Duke standout Cassius Stanley, who played 24 games in mop-up duty for the Pacers last season but has yet to make an NBA rotation.
What could he possibly bring to the Detroit Pistons?
Detroit Pistons: Cassius Stanley could be an insurance policy
Coming out of college, Cassius Stanley was known as a super athletic two-guard who lacked pretty much every other skill.
He can jump out of the gym and is good in transition, but doesn’t have much in the way of handles or a shot, though he did shoot 36 percent from 3-point range in college.
In other words, he sounds a whole lot like Josh Jackson and Hamidou Diallo, two players for the Pistons who are also great athletes but need more refinement to their offensive games.
Both Jackson and Diallo are way ahead of Stanley in this department but Troy Weaver loves his long, athletic wing players, so I could see Stanley getting a chance on the Cruise. If the Pistons were to trade Jackson, or one of them went down with injury, then Stanley could be an insurance option if the does end up on Detroit’s G-League squad.
The Pistons also have Isaiah Livers and Chris Smith but both are coming off injuries and may not be a able to contribute right away.
Stanley is not going to be offered a roster spot on the Pistons out of camp but if he sticks around, he could end up having a role down the road if some things go wrong for the Detroit Pistons or he proves that his shot has caught up to his hops.
It’s a long shot but Stanley is only 22-years-old and will be eager to prove he belongs.