Detroit Pistons: Situational lineups for coach Monty Williams
Detroit Pistons lineups: The 2nd unit
To whom will we turn when our starters need a blow? Now, this isn’t a “lineup” per se. If we see any five of the following on the court at the same time, things probably aren’t going very well. In any case, let’s look at who a true second unit might consist of.
To begin with, Monte Morris is a good bet as the first guard off the bench. Where does that leave the likes of Killian Hayes, Alec Burks, and rookie Marcus Sasser? Versions of this question have been bantered about since the draft. Is Killian soon to get a one-way ticket out of town? Can Morris and Sasser share the court together? Because I’m uncertain as to how ready Sasser is to take on meaningful minutes, I’m going to project Burks to join Morris in being the first backcourt players to come off the bench.
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Another question worth asking is how deep Williams’ rotation will be? As a matter of fact, the deployment of his reserves came under fire toward the end of his tenure in Phoenix. Determining a de facto second unit depends upon doing the same for the starting lineup. Presumably, Joe Harris, Isaiah Stewart and James Wiseman will all get minutes off the bench at some point during the season. If the Detroit Pistons do opt to start Wiseman, it may not be for long.
Weaver and Williams are also going to have to decide whether to move one of their bigs. Could Wiseman or Bagley be traded, and Isaiah Livers then turned to more often? Quite a few choices are inherent with this roster and a new head coach in the mix. For now, I’ll try to forecast conservatively. By the end of the season, I think that Marcus Sasser is for sure apart of this group.
SECOND UNIT: Monte Morris, Alec Burks, Joe Harris, Isaiah Stewart, James Wiseman