The Detroit Pistons have gotten off to a 0-4 start without the services of number one pick Cade Cunningham.
It appears as though Cunningham will return soon, possibly against the Orlando Magic tomorrow night.
The Pistons’ offense has been woeful without Cunningham and they are currently dead last in the NBA in nearly every offensive category.
Even without Cunningham things shouldn’t be this bad and there are a few guys who are hanging onto the fringes of the rotation and may not be there once he does return.
Here are three candidates to get benched once Cade Cunningham is back in the starting lineup.
Detroit Pistons: Will Frank Jackson lose his spot when Cade Cunningham returns?
I’d say that Frank Jackson is the least likely player to lose his spot in the rotation simply because the Pistons need his shooting.
Jackson, like every other Piston not named Saddiq Bey, has gotten off to a terrible start, averaging just 6.3 points per game and an awful 22 percent from 3-point range. What will save Jackson is that everyone else has been worse and theoretically he provides shooting off the bench, which the Pistons desperately need.
Trey Lyles
Trey Lyes is another guy who is unlikely to be dropped from the rotation. For one, he is one of the only Pistons who has made any long-range shots. He is shooting 40 percent on the season and the Detroit Pistons need all of the shooting they can get right now.
The Pistons are also light on bigs, with only Isaiah Stewart and Kelly Olynyk currently getting any minutes. Lyles can play both big spots, so he’ll be in there until the Pistons find another option or unleash Luka Garza, which may happen soon.
Detroit Pistons: Will Josh Jackson stay in the rotation when Cade Cunningham comes back?
I thought there were positive signs that Josh Jackson was going to have a breakout season, but four games into the season and we’re seeing the exact same guy.
I got fooled by preseason Josh Jackson, who was making better decisions with the ball, shooting a decent clip from long range and not making as many silly turnovers.
What happened to that guy?
Through four games Jackson has been arguably worse than last season in pretty much everything. He’s averaging the same number of turnovers, many of them of the “what in the world are you thinking?!?” variety.
He is shooting 21 percent from 3-point range and his numbers are down across the board. He is a guy I thought might not finish the season in Detroit but if he keeps playing like this the Pistons wouldn’t be able to get a pair of old gym socks in a trade for him.
The only thing keeping Josh Jackson in an NBA rotation is his energy and defense, but that won’t be enough for long, so he really needs to step up.
I am cheering for Jackson and want him to succeed in Detroit, so his start has been disappointing.
Detroit Pistons: Hamidou Diallo is most likely headed to the bench once Cade Cunningham returns
I asked the question “what is going on with Hamidou Diallo” and four games into the season I still do not have an answer.
Diallo is on the fringes of the rotation now, which is not something I expected after the Pistons re-signed him to an extension.
I figured Diallo would beat Josh Jackson out for minutes, and he still might at some point in the season, but right now it looks like he’ll be the one who gets dropped from the rotation once Cunningham returns.
Diallo is playing a paltry 13 minutes per game, lowest since his rookie season. He’s averaging four points per game and has yet to make a 3-point shot.
He’s played just 11 minutes in each of the last two games and appears to be in coach Casey’s doghouse for now. When Cunningham returns, Diallo might be doomed to mop-up duty or getting into games when someone else is in foul trouble.
The Detroit Pistons have not gotten off to the start they wanted and some things are going to have to change if they want to turn this season around, and it starts with finding a rotation that works.