Head coach Monty Williams of the Detroit Pistons has a lot to figure out before next season begins.
Detroit has a number of players competing for spots and minutes and nothing is set in stone for his young roster, not even the starting five.
It’s possible that Williams already has an idea of who he will use in his starting lineup, but it’s also possible that we’ll see a fair amount of shuffling in the first half of next season.
There are any number of combinations he could employ to start the game, but not all of them make sense.
Ranking 4 possible starting lineups for the Pistons next season
#4: The two-big disaster
This is what I would call the “please no” starting lineup. I don’t expect we will see this one right away, but I wouldn’t rule it out, as the Pistons seem determined to use at least one of their centers in the wrong position.
Troy Weaver has talked a lot about playing big, and this would be one way to do it:
- Cade Cunningham
- Jaden Ivey
- Bojan Bogdanovic
- James Wiseman
- Jalen Duren
With only one proven shooter on the floor, this would almost certainly be a disaster of spacing on the offensive end. It would also be problematic at the other end, as Wiseman would potentially be forced to defend the perimeter, something he’s not great at.
Detroit would likely dominate the offensive glass, but give up a ton of run outs going the other way when they didn’t convert (something we saw in Summer League). Teams would just pack the lane and beg the guards to shoot over them.
Hard pass on this one.
Ranking 4 possible starting lineups for the Pistons next season
#3: Splitting up the guards
When the Detroit Pistons signed Monte Morris, most expected that he would be coming off the bench as the backup point guard behind Cade Cunningham.
But Morris has started all but two games over the last two seasons, and you could argue that he’s a better fit with Cunningham given his ability to play on or off the ball, shoot the 3-point shot and not commit turnovers. So could we see him in the starting five?
- Monte Morris
- Cade Cunningham
- Ausar Thompson
- Bojan Bogdanovic
- Jalen Duren
This would give Jaden Ivey a chance to be the primary ball handler with the second unit, and allow the Pistons to get more shooting around Cade to start the game.
I can’t see this happening, as Detroit is counting on the Cunningham/Ivey duo to carry them into the future. But if they saw Ivey as more of a point guard who needs to be on the ball, then moving him to a bench role does make some sense.
I do think we’ll see plenty of this lineup (or something close) next season, but probably not as the starting five.
Ranking 4 possible starting lineups for the Pistons next season
#2: The most likely
If I had to guess, I’d say this is the most likely starting lineup for next season.
The Detroit Pistons likely extended Isaiah Stewart to make him the power forward next season and to start next to Duren. This allows the Pistons to play big but to have much more versatility, especially if Stewart shoots the 3-ball consistently.
- Cade Cunningham
- Jaden Ivey
- Bojan Bogdanovic
- Isaiah Stewart
- Jalen Duren
For this to work, Ivey, Cunningham and Stewart will have to show that they can shoot consistently from long range, otherwise teams are just going to pack the lane and dare anyone not named Bogdanovic to shoot 3-point shots.
Stewart gives them more defensive versatility, but can he help cover Bogdanovic and his terrible defense on the wing? Can Stewart hit closer to 40 percent of his 3-point attempts and attack close outs off the dribble? Will he and Bogdanovic provide enough spacing for Cunningham and Ivey to work in the mid-range and at the rim?
Although this is the most likely opening night starting five, there are still a lot of questions of how it will work on both ends.
Ranking 4 possible starting lineups for the Pistons next season
#1: Fans’ choice
If I had to make a starting lineup for next season, I would choose this one, as I think it offers the most on both ends and allows players to play their natural positions and roles.
- Cade Cunningham
- Jaden Ivey
- Ausar Thompson
- Bojan Bogdanovic
- Jalen Duren
I saw enough out of Thompson in Summer League to think that he’s going to be a dynamic and disruptive defender right away, so why not pair him with the Pistons’ worst defender (Bogdanovic)?
Thompson can help cover Bojan’s deficiencies and lack of athleticism. Even with Bojan on the floor, this would be an extremely athletic group with Ivey, Thompson and Duren running from end to end. The shooting could be problematic, but count me as one who thinks Ausar will be a better shooter than advertised and that his playmaking, rim running and cutting will more than make up for lack of long-range shooting.
Bogdanovic is more comfortable guarding fours at this point in his career and would be able to create mismatches on the offensive end. This would also allow James Wiseman to just play backup center and end this ridiculous idea that he can be a power forward in the NBA.
Bagley III (or Wiseman depending on who wins the training camp battle) can be the third center and allow Stewart to be an all-purpose big and the first one off the bench. Stewart could initially sub in for Duren, allow the Pistons to go small for stretches and then slide over to the four when another big comes into the game.
Most importantly, it allows the “core four” of Cunningham, Ivey, Duren and Thompson to start getting their reps together, as this is the group that is going to make or break the future of the Detroit Pistons.