The Detroit Pistons made one fairly low impact move at the trade deadline, swapping Saddiq Bey and Kevin Knox for James Wiseman, though by some of the reactions you’d think this trade shook the foundations of the NBA.
With all of the commotion of the trade deadline, people seem to forget that the Pistons actually have a game to play tonight at home against the San Antonio Spurs, one of the teams they are competing against in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes.
This is one of the games left on the schedule that could have a big impact on the final standings, as the Pistons currently have the second-worst record in the NBA and the Spurs are just a half game ahead of them.
Both teams have been struggling, but the Spurs have lost 10 games in a row, and like the Pistons, will be trotting out a new starting lineup and depth chart post trade deadline.
So the big question for fans of the Detroit Pistons is whether their new acquisition James Wiseman is going to suit up tonight.
Detroit Pistons: Will James Wiseman play tonight vs San Antonio Spurs?
According to reports from ESPN, among others, the Detroit Pistons plan on using James Wiseman as their starting center, which is going to make a lot of people angry, as rookie Jalen Duren has been great in the starting role, averaging a double-double since taking over at center.
But it does not appear as if that will happen tonight, as Wiseman is still listed as day-to-day, so likely will make his debut Sunday on the road against the Toronto Raptors.
That leaves the Pistons shorthanded tonight without Saddiq Bey or Kevin Knox, so we are likely to see a starting five that looks like this:
- Killian Hayes
- Jaden Ivey
- Bojan Bogdanovic
- Isaiah Stewart
- Jalen Duren
Wiseman’s fit with the other Pistons’ bigs is certainly questionable, but Stewart is probably the best match, as it will allow him to play his natural position at center.
Coach Dwane Casey doesn’t have a lot of time to figure out how this all works, but it won’t matter anyway, as the Detroit Pistons could look like a much different team after the draft and free agency, when those pieces might be even more difficult to fit together.