Detroit Pistons training camp preview: The guard battles

Detroit Pistons’ training camp: Jaden Ivey vs. Alec Burks

This is another training camp battle that will come down to a young player with a high ceiling vs. a veteran whose strengths are well established.

These two are locks for the rotation, but which one ends up in the starting lineup may come down to training camp and preseason, as Casey tries to figure out how the pieces fit around Cade Cunningham.

Ivey will be the frontrunner, as the Pistons view him as part of the backcourt of the future, a possible star who could give Detroit another All-Star backcourt to build around.

After using the 5th pick to get him, this is Ivey’s spot to lose and I expect him to be in the starting five on opening night.

The only caveat is fit, as the Pistons don’t have much shooting around Cade Cunningham, and may decide that putting Burks in the starting five and allowing Ivey to be the primary scorer off the bench is the best way to utilize their talents.

But there are other ways to get shooting into the starting five (Isaiah Livers at small forward?) and Detroit will be eager to start building chemistry between their young guards. Burks is also a better fit with Killian Hayes off the bench, at least on paper, so Ivey has a big advantage in this training camp battle.