The Detroit Pistons are out to prove themselves this postseason.
They are not messing around - they have a mission. First, to prove that they deserved their No. 1 seed and should be the favorites to win the Eastern Conference. Second, to go out and actually win the Eastern Conference.
That means that head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has to make the difficult decisions right away. Some metrics have the Orlando Magic as favored to win over the Pistons, and many doubters are lining up to watch the Pistons closely. Starting strong has to be a priority.
That means cutting the rotation down early in the playoffs, if not in Game 1. In the postseason, coaches play fewer players, keeping things tight and leaning on their best players. The stars will play more minutes, and the bench minutes will go to fewer players. Instead of 10 or 11 Pistons showing up in the competitive portion of the game, it's likely to be nine or even just eight players.
Who will be cut from the rotation, feeling the painful bite of being kicked to the rotational curb as the playoffs begin? We'll go from the most obvious to the one that might shock Pistons fans just a little when it happens.
No. 1: Paul Reed
The Pistons got a steal when they scooped Paul Reed off of waivers, and he is the league's best third-string center and on a solid contract. One of the reasons that the Pistons won so many games this season was that whenever Jalen Duren or Isaiah Stewart were unavailable, Reed stepped in and delivered similar results.
Detroit doesn't need three centers in the rotation for the playoffs, however, so Reed's role will be reduced to garbage time and filling in when there is foul trouble or injury. It's a luxury for Bickerstaff to have at his disposal - but one he won't tap into unless he needs to.
No. 2: Caris LeVert
One of the Pistons' big additions this summer was Caris LeVert; it's somewhat shocking to realize that they won 60 games and their biggest offseason signing barely contributed.
LeVert had his worst season in a while, was ice-cold from the field and from deep, and toward the end of the season, it became obvious that he was moving toward the fringes of Bickerstaff's rotation. The emergence of Daniss Jenkins alleviated the need for LeVert.
If the offense gets bogged down, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Bickerstaff turn to LeVert. To start, however, he is likely on the outside looking into the rotation.
No. 3: Ron Holland
With Ausar Thompson locked into the starting lineup, the Pistons have a pair of big, shooting-challenged defensive wings coming off the bench. In most games, both Ron Holland and Javonte Green have played rotation minutes.
It is possible that Bickerstaff brings both into the game, but likely one of the two will be the odd man out -- whether that is right away in Game 1 or after a couple of outings. And while there is a case to be made for Holland, the No. 5 pick just two years ago, the pick here is that Green gets the nod.
Holland has improved as a shooter this season, but that's not saying a ton; he hit only 25.3 percent from deep for the year in total. Over the last month, Bickerstaff has often toggled between Holland and Green being first off the bench. The bet here is that Green, with his superior shooting and playoff experience, is elevated over Holland.
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