Pistons news: JJ Redick, two bigs and Pistons Twitter
The Detroit Pistons have been terrible for what seems like an eternity, yet have some of the best fans in the game.
I know this because I’m a diehard myself and interact with the fanbase on a daily basis. Though it’s the offseason and nothing is going on, Pistons fans are still on Twitter debating, making jokes and standing up for their guys.
JJ Redick took notice on a recent episode of Old Man and the Three when discussing Jalen Duren, saying the Pistons “have a remarkably solid NBA Twitter presence” before talking about how Duren should definitely start (he should) and that the two-big experiment is dumb (it is).
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He rightfully pointed out the fans have been all over this on Twitter, backing Duren as the starter and calling out Troy Weaver for an experiment that was best suited for the 1990’s.
Detroit Pistons and the 2-big lineups
The key word here is “experiment” which is exactly what Detroit was doing last season when they deployed lineups that had both James Wiseman and Marvin Bagley III in them.
The Pistons were already well on their way to the league’s worst record before the trade to acquire Wiseman, so they were really just seeing what they had, experimenting at a time when they weren’t under pressure to win.
Same with Summer League, when we saw Duren and Wiseman on the floor together in games that did not matter.
New head coach Monty Williams is under no obligation to do it in real games, and since his task is to win them, not just to develop players, he is going to use the lineups that give him the best chance at victory.
Yes, Detroit has plans to use Isaiah Stewart as a stretch four/center hybrid, but if he doesn’t prove the “stretch” part, Williams will go in a different direction in the frontcourt with Duren.
It’s doubtful that we’ll see much, if any, of lineups that have Duren/Wiseman or Wiseman/Bagley III except against matchups where going big for short stretches gives the Pistons an advantage.
So while I totally agree that Wiseman/Bagley III together is a diaster waiting to happen, it’s one that Williams can easily avoid.
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