Detroit Pistons training camp preview: The guard battles

For those of us who have been suffering without basketball, the wait is nearly over, as the Detroit Pistons are less than a month away from training camp.

The Pistons will have one of the youngest rosters in the league, which should lead to some fierce battles in the preseason, as players try to earn roster spots or minutes in the rotation.

This will be true at the guard spot, where the Pistons currently have seven players including Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Alec Burks, Killian Hayes, Cory Joseph, Saben Lee and Rodney McGruder.

Not all of these players will make the 10-man rotation, while others fight for roles off the bench and spots in the starting lineup.

Of these players, only Cade Cunningham is a lock for the opening night starting lineup, and the rest of the minutes will have to be earned in training camp.

When does the Detroit Pistons’ training camp start?

Although dates and locations haven’t been officially announced, the Detroit Pistons will start training camp sometime around September 26th and end around October 1st. This is just a few days before they kick off their preseason schedule with a nationally televised game against the New York Knicks.

Pistons training camp battle: The guards out of the rotation

Though Saben Lee and Rodney McGruder will get their chances, both are likely to start the season out of the rotation since they have several players ahead of them on the depth chart.

The two of them will be using training camp to show that the deserve a shot at minutes off the bench, but will have an uphill battle. Lee is a candidate to be waived this offseason, especially if the Pistons want to add another player, and McGruder was brought back to be more of a veteran mentor than a guy who will be a part of the rotation.