The Detroit Pistons have been one of the least dysfunctional franchises this offseason, with the focus on basketball and restoring the team to its previous glory.
Training camp is underway and the Pistons have managed to avoid the non-stop drama that has engulfed several other teams around league.
Instead of talking about off-the-court issues, the Pistons are focused on basketball, with the biggest questions revolving around the rotation and starting lineup.
I made some way-too-early predictions about who could be in that starting lineup and yesterday coach Casey dropped some hints about whether any of them are correct.
Dwane Casey said he'll probably cap the rotation at 10, and gave a hint about the starting lineup. "That's going to be one of our strengths, is our depth. You probably have more experience with the second group than you do with the first group."
— Offseason O (@omarisankofa) September 29, 2021
The Detroit Pistons’ starting lineup and rotation is still up in the air
This was an interesting quote from Casey, as he not only dropped a hint that the starting lineup could be young but also that the rotation will be capped at 10 players, which means there are going to be some fierce positional battles for minutes.
But what might that starting lineup look like? And who will get left out of the 10-man rotation?
The Detroit Pistons currently have a full 15-man roster and everyone on it probably believes they deserve to be in the rotation.
So who is going to get left out?
Let’s take a look at a couple of variations of the young starting lineup and which players are going to be sitting on the bench this season when the dust from the positional battles settles.
Detroit Pistons starting lineup: 2 versions of the “young” starting five
I think there are two possibilities for a “young” starting five depending on just how young coach Casey wants to go.
It is smart to start the young guys and bring veterans off the bench, as most of them are used to being starters and it can be difficult for young players to find an established role off the bench.
Here is the younger of the two possibilities:
- G: Cade Cunningham
- G: Killian Hayes
- SF: Saddiq Bey
- PF: Jerami Grant
- C: Isaiah Stewart
This Pistons starting lineup only has one veteran, but if the Pistons want to go with defense first (one of the early mantras of training camp), then this is the choice.
But the Detroit Pistons might also want more shooting in the starting five around Cade Cunningham, in which case they could tweak this slightly and go with a more veteran presence at center.
- G: Cade Cunningham
- G: Killian Hayes
- SF: Saddiq Bey
- PF: Jerami Grant
- C: Kelly Olynyk
Both Stewart and Olynyk are going to play big minutes for the Detroit Pistons, so ultimately it probably doesn’t matter who starts, so it may just come down to which player is more comfortable coming off the bench and which is a better fit with the second unit.
I also think there is a good chance we’ll see a different guard starting with Cade Cunningham at some point, as they have a bunch of talented guards with varying skillsets that might be a better fit with the number one pick.
So what about the rotation? Which ten players are going to be in it? Who will get left out?
Detroit Pistons: The 10-man rotation
If the Detroit Pistons really do go with a 10-man rotation, then there are going to be some unhappy players on the bench. Here are the 10 guys I think will be in it.
- G: Cade Cunningham/ Cory Joseph
- G: Killian Hayes/ Hamidou Diallo/Frank Jackson
- SF: Saddiq Bey/ Josh Jackson
- PF: Jerami Grant
- C: Isaiah Stewart/ Kelly Olynyk
That leaves an interesting group on the outside looking in as guys like Saben Lee, Isaiah Livers, Luka Garza are all young and hungry players who will get some time in certain matchups but could also spend some time in the G-League.
This also leaves veterans Trey Lyles and Rodney McGruder on the bench, which is just fine by me.
I am certain that this rotation will not be set in stone and that some guys will play their way in or out of it, but if I had to bet, I think these will be the 10 guys to start the season.
As you can see, the rotation doesn’t have a “true” center and will rely instead on long wing-type players who can defend multiple positions.
Dwane Casey has a number of different groups to try this season and will have a lot more depth to work with than he did last year, which is going to lead to some great training camp/preseason battles that carry into the regular season.
I love the competitive aspect of this, as nothing is going to be given and all minutes are going to have to be earned. Slack off and there will be someone there ready to take those minutes, which is a great thing for a young team.