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.
Detroit Pistons’ training camp: Killian Hayes vs. Cory Joseph
Killian Hayes and Cory Joseph played a similar amount of time last season, with Hayes logging 66 games, 40 as a starter and CoJo playing 65 games, 39 as a starter.
With the additions of Jaden Ivey and Alec Burks, it’s not likely that either Hayes nor Joseph start much next season unless there is an injury or trade.
They will be battling it out for minutes off the bench, which starts in training camp. Hayes will be given every opportunity to prove himself, as the Pistons have to make a decision on his team option in October, while Joseph is on an expiring deal and not likely part of the future long-term plans.
Hayes has been working hard this offseason, but needs to show some improvement on the offensive end before the Pistons commit to him for another season. Joseph is one of Dwane Casey’s favorite guys and a player he trusts, as he had a solid season for the Pistons and was one of their best 3-point shooters.
Hayes doesn’t need to suddenly morph into Stephen Curry in training camp, but the 21-year-old does need to show he’s made strides. The Pistons know what Joseph brings to the table, so Hayes has far more at stake here.
Killian is going to be the first guard off the bench, but Casey won’t hesitate to go with CoJo if things go sour. Hopefully, Hayes will remind people why he was a lottery pick and win this training camp battle handily, allowing the Pistons to move on from CoJo at some point in the season.
It all starts in training camp, where Hayes has to show his potential is worth more than Joseph, who is more of a known commodity.
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.