Detroit Pistons: This player can grab an early role and keep it

The Detroit Pistons will enter the regular season banged up with several players questionable for the first game.

We know Alec Burks and Marvin Bagley III are going to be out, but Nerlens Noel, Isaiah Livers and Hamidou Diallo are also getting over nagging injuries that could keep them out or limited for the start of the season.

This is going to potentially open up minutes for some of the back end of the bench guys, including newcomer Kevin Knox, who made his preseason debut against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Both Knox and Braxton Key will likely be battling for rotation minutes if several players are still out to start the season, but as the guy with the higher upside and the more necessary skillset (theoretically), Knox has a chance to establish a role for himself in the rotation right away.

If things go well, it’s a role he could keep, as the Detroit Pistons need what he potentially brings to the table.

Detroit Pistons: A role for Kevin Knox

Knox has already bounced around in the league but is still just 23-years-old, so it’s not like he’s a complete write-off, which is why the Pistons gave him a two-year deal.

He’s not an elite defender by any means, but he has the size to defend a couple of spots, which is something Detroit needs, as it appears that they are going to stick with the defensive strategy of switching everything on the perimeter.

I don’t think Knox is going to earn a full-time role with his defense, but having a 6-foot-7 player who can switch on the wing is a bonus for Dwane Casey.

Where Knox can make his mark is with his shooting, as he showed against Memphis, knocking down 3-of-6 from behind the arc on his way to 13 points. Knox has always been a streaky shooter, so the big question is whether he can be that “instant offense” guy consistently.

Shooting is going to play in the Pistons’ rotation, as they simply don’t have enough of it, so Knox has a chance early in the season to establish himself as a scorer off the bench, and if he can, he can potentially beat out the shooting-challenged Diallo for bench minutes.

With a slew of players potentially out to start the season, a window of opportunity has opened for Kevin Knox, which is all he could really ask for in this situation. Can he make the most of it? We’ll soon see.