Detroit Pistons: Situational lineups for coach Monty Williams

Detroit Pistons lineup when they need a stop

Sometimes you need a stop. You’re in the final minute of the game. Both teams have a timeout left. Coaches have their clipboards ready, prepared to diagram their way to a win or a loss. What will Monty Williams do when the Detroit Pistons need to shut down the opposition?

Let’s start with Ausar. Given all the possibilities leading up to the draft, it’ll be in moments like these when we’re most pleased with who we ended up with. Thompson can match up with so many different players and it’ll be fun to watch his development in this area. Will he become a true stopper for us? Because if so, the team’s identity may include him at the forefront with Cade. And speaking of Cade, naturally, he’ll be on the floor. It’s hard to imagine a situation where he won’t be. Hence the beauty of having a 6-foot-8 point guard. Another good bet is Jaden Ivey, for all the on-ball pressure he’s capable of applying. This trio could certainly gel together and make life harder for the opposing team’s ballhandlers and playmakers. If Hayes is with the team, he’d be a candidate to replace Ivey in this lineup at times, as Sasser will become.

In the frontcourt, we can expect to see Duren holding it down. Beef Stew will probably be serving as the connective tissue between the wings and the big man. Wiseman would be a possibility if Monty wants to see twin towers on the floor in the closing moments, but more often than not I’d anticipate Duren and Stewart being the tandem he goes with.

BEST DEFENSIVE UNIT: Jaden Ivery, Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, Isaiah Stewart, Jalen Duren