Detroit Pistons: Situational lineups for coach Monty Williams

Detroit Pistons lineups: The closers

As they say, it isn’t who starts the game that matters so much as who is on the court during the final minutes. Who will close games out for the Detroit Pistons? Will this rotation look any different than the starting lineup?

The obvious thing to consider is whether they’re in the lead or playing from behind in the final quarter. Presumably, as a sub-.500 team, they’ll usually be trying to play catch up. With that in mind, I think we could see Ivey on the bench more than the average starter this season. Until he can knockdown triples more reliably, he may have to defer to some of his backcourt mates. Both Burks and Morris are veterans who can stick it from long range and could be on the floor when it matters. Cunningham, of course, will be alongside them. It’s not inconceivable to see that trio joined by Bogdanovic and Duren.

If the Pistons begin turning the corner and find themselves trying to preserve the lead more often, I think we’ll see more of the starters on the floor. Maybe that’s the obvious conclusion. Ivey can get after it when he’s guarding the other team’s ballhandler, so he’s an outside jumper away from being nearly impossible to leave on the bench. Thompson and Stewart are going to definitely find themselves in demand in this instance, too. It’ll be hard to leave Duren’s dependable rebounding out of the equation but he’s quite possibly going to be in foul trouble at times. I’ve got a gut feeling that if Wiseman sticks in Detroit, he will get his share of meaningful minutes. His length and athleticism remain, even if his reputation has tarnished.

BEST CLOSING UNIT: Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson, Isaiah Stewart, James Wiseman