The Detroit Pistons are entering the postseason as the No. 1 seed in the East, and typically, that's an achievement for a team that has minimal, if any, concerns at this time of year.
For Detroit, though, the Pistons have a major rotation problem that stems from the team's inability to play Jalen Duren and Paul Reed at the same time; two playmakers who could be extremely useful in the team's championship pursuit when the NBA Playoffs begin.
Duren's importance for Detroit doesn't need to be explained, especially after his Most Improved Player campaign throughout the regular season.
As for Reed, the big man has proven to be a capable player who can step up when he's been given the opportunity this season.
Unfortunately, within those opportunities, it became abundantly clear that Reed simply wasn't a good fit on the court alongside Duren, which puts the team in a rough spot as head coach J.B. Bickerstaff will be forced to evaluate rotation minutes with the postseason finally here.
Pistons will have a tough time finding minutes for Reed moving forward
Reed is coming off one of his best games of the year in the team's season finale, where he finished with 26 points, six rebounds, and three assists on a perfect 11-for-11 shooting from the floor after he received the starting nod in place of Duren.
That stat line alone puts the reserve playmaker in a position where it would seem like a drastic mistake for Detroit to not have him on the floor when the playoffs begin, but at the same time, the small sample size the team has seen of both players sharing the court screams that under no circumstance should they receive rotation minutes alongside one another during the playoffs.
And with Isaiah Stewart officially back in the lineup, the team's full health puts them in a position where Reed could find himself as the odd man out, even after big performances as he posted in Sunday's win over the Indiana Pacers.
Pistons won't go away from Duren much in the postseason
Detroit will be co-dependent on the play of Duren when the postseason arrives, not only because he's expected to be the No. 2 scoring option alongside Cade Cunningham, but because he's an absolute force inside the paint on the boards.
The first-time All-Star is in a prime position to exploit mismatches for the Pistons with the forgotten skillset that allows him to dominate under the rim, and with the team's success hinging on the play of their star duo, it doesn't leave many minutes to spare for the likes of Reed off the bench.
There will certainly be instances where Bickerstaff may have to ask himself if the risk is worth the reward if a series or game could use the impact of Reed, but the overwhelming thought as of now is that the team will have a tough time finding playoff minutes for Reed.
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