We are now less than a week away from the start of Detroit Pistons’ training camp, so the wait for hoops is finally nearly over.
The Pistons have one of the youngest rosters in the NBA, so have plenty of questions heading into the preseason.
It’s unclear who will even be in the starting lineup, but best guess is that we’ll see this group of five when the season opens:
- Cade Cunningham
- Jaden Ivey
- Saddiq Bey
- Marvin Bagley III
- Isaiah Stewart
But that is hardly set in stone and we could see any number of combinations depending on how coach Dwane Casey wants to use his big men, and how he wants to deploy the few shooters the Pistons have.
This group will likely be fluid throughout the season and right now there are only two guaranteed locks for the starting five in Cade Cunningham and Saddiq Bey.
But assuming these are the five, here is one question for each of them heading into training camp.
Detroit Pistons training camp: 1 question for each starter
Marvin Bagley III
Can MBIII just be the center?
Marvin Bagley III played well for the Pistons in 18 games last season, especially offensively, where he shot 62 percent on 2-point shots, highest of his career.
MBIII can be a dominant post player at times, catch a lob and has the quickness and athleticism to grab offensive rebounds and draw fouls. Bagley III was great from nine feet in, but anything beyond that and the numbers start to plummet, bottoming out at the 3-point line, where he shot just 22 percent.
He wasn’t much better from 10-14 feet, where he shot just 30 percent. In other words, MBIII is not a stretch-four or five, he’s a center who is very efficient around the rim and very inefficient away from it.
So the question is if Bagley III and the Pistons will just embrace this role or will he still be launching a few threes and mid-range jumpers per game.
Isaiah Stewart
Can Stewart play as a power forward on offense?
The fit between Stewart and Bagley III will depend on Stewart being able to play the power forward position on offense and then guard the best big on defense.
I don’t doubt Stewart can handle defending power forwards, centers or even stepping out on the perimeter, as he is a versatile defender, but what about on offense?
If Bagley III is going to be the primary pick-and-roll guy and play in the paint, where does that leave Stewart? Can he hit enough mid-range and 3-point shots to hurt teams for sagging off him on the perimeter or using his man to double team?
If not, one of these two bigs will likely have to move to the bench, so their fit will be under a microscope starting in training camp and the preseason.
Detroit Pistons training camp: 1 question for each starter
Saddiq Bey
Is Bey a power forward?
Like MBIII and Stewart, there are also some questions about which position is ultimately best for Saddiq Bey.
Bey has been better defensively at the four, and has the strength, size and quickness to stick with most power forwards in the NBA. He’s not as good against quicker wings, though this all obviously depends on the matchup.
You are who you guard in the NBA, so is Bey really a power forward? Moving him there would allow the Pistons to move one of Bagley III or Stewart to the bench and for Detroit to inject some more shooting into the starting lineup.
Bey’s 3-point shooting would also be more of a weapon as a four, and allow the Pistons to spread the floor around their guards.
It’s going to be a question Dwane Casey will be asking all season, as Detroit has a bunch of guys who are in-between positions, which can be a great thing when it comes to versatility, but can also make it difficult to find the right combinations.
Detroit Pistons training camp: 1 question for each starter
Jaden Ivey
Can Ivey hit enough 3-point shots to keep defenses honest?
Jaden Ivey has the chance to be the ideal modern guard in the NBA, as he is very good at the rim and can also hit 3-point shots.
Ivey has the speed to blow by defenders and be a force in transition, so he will get a lot of shots at the rim, but when it comes to the half court, he needs to be able to play off the ball as well because Cade Cunningham is going to have the ball a lot of the time.
If Ivey can hit enough catch-and-shoot 3’s when Cade creates an opening, defenders will have to close out strongly, which is going to open up even more drives to the rim. Ivey has Russell Westbrook type athleticism, so if he can be a decent 3-point shooter, he’s going to be extremely difficult to stop.
Cade Cunningham
What does year two look like?
This is really a bunch of questions, but Cunningham is currently the most important Piston, so it’s not hyperbole to say that the direction of the franchise will be determined by the answers.
How will extra muscle help Cade? Can he be more efficient? Will he shoot fewer 3-point shots next season? What has he added to his game? Will he focus on mid-range and paint shots? Is Cade Cunningham an All-Star in year two?
Cunningham is the most popular player on the Pistons and most of the eyes will be on him when training camp tips off next week, when we’ll start getting some answers.