Detroit Pistons: Did ESPN get the starting lineup right?
The Detroit Pistons will have a competitive training camp next season, as they have a number of players competing for spots.
There are only a couple of locks for the rotation so far, and nothing is a given, not even the Pistons starting lineup.
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Monty Williams is going to have a lot of options, especially at guard, center and power forward, where there are either too many players or not enough, which could force him into using players in less familiar positions.
After signing a new extension, many believe Isaiah Stewart is the most likely candidate to start at the four next to center Jalen Duren, but ESPN has other ideas.
Did ESPN get the Detroit Pistons starting lineup right?
Ultimately the players (through competition) and the new head coach will decide the starting lineup and rotation, but as of right now, here is the depth chart ESPN has for the Detroit Pistons:
- Cade Cunningham/Monte Morris
- Jaden Ivey/Alec Burks
- Ausar Thompson/Joe Harris
- Bojan Bogdanovic/Isaiah Stewart
- Jalen Duren/James Wiseman
The most notable things to me are that Ausar Thompson is in the starting lineup to start the season, which could happen after he impressed in Summer League with his disruptive defense.
There are also some notable names missing, as guys like Marvin Bagley III, Killian Hayes and Isaiah Livers are left out of the 10-man rotation entirely. There is a good chance all three will play at various points of the season and Livers in particular has a chance to be a big part of the rotation if he can stay healthy and make shots.
I’m sure a lot of fans would be happy to see this starting five, as we are eager to get the future started with Cade, Ivey, Ausar and Duren.
There are definitely things to like about this configuration, but coach Williams has a lot of options and we’ll likely see plenty of experimenting.