Pistons playoff rotation battle may have unexpected casualty

The Detroit Pistons hope to be healthy when the playoffs start, and if they are, coach JB Bickerstaff will have some tough choices to make, and none will be more difficult than what to do with Ron Holland II. 

The Pistons have had to lean heavily on their depth this season, but it’s unlikely that coach Bickerstaff will continue to use an 11-12 man rotation once the playoffs start, especially if he has everyone healthy. 

Both Cade Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart are question marks until we see them back on the floor, but if they are, Detroit may have some surprising players out of the rotation. 

Detroit Pistons playoff rotation: The no brainers 

If everyone is healthy, the Pistons starting five for the playoffs will be Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris and Jalen Duren. It’s the starting five they’ve used for most of the season and has a +11.8 net rating, one of the highest in the league, so it’s a no brainer. 

Isaiah Stewart will almost certainly be the first man off the bench and the one who plays the most minutes in the playoffs, so getting him back to 100 percent is crucial for Detroit. 

Daniss Jenkins has played his way into the second point guard role and has shown the kind of clutch DNA the Pistons will need in the playoffs. 

But other than these seven players, it’s all up in the air for the Pistons, and depending on how many players coach Bickerstaff wants to use, there may only be two more spots. 

Detroit Pistons playoff rotation: 2 spots for 5 players 

The Pistons will likely use a 9-10 man rotation in the playoffs, though the names may change from night to night depending on how things go. 

That leaves either 2-3 spots for Kevin Huerter, Javonte Green, Ron Holland II, Marcus Sasser and Caris LeVert, not to mention Paul Reed, who will be in there if there is foul trouble to one of the bigs. 

As of right now, Huerter and Green have the inside track, as both guys have been solid defensively and have shown they can hit shots. Green is hitting 45 percent of his corner 3’s and Huerter has shown recently that he is shifty with and without the ball and a guy defenses have to honor. 

Ron Holland has been as solid as they come defensively but has been in an extended shooting slump from 3-point range, hitting just 17 percent of them over his last 10 games. We know teams are going to leave him alone and let him shoot those all night, and it’s going to be tough for the Pistons to have a guy on the floor that the other team doesn’t have to defend. 

I’m sure Holland will play, but he’s going to have to hit shots to justify big minutes in the playoffs. 

Caris LeVert and Marcus Sasser are on the outside looking in at this point, though both guys could see action in the playoffs if someone else doesn’t step up. We know JB Bickerstaff trusts LeVert, so he’s another guy who could put the squeeze on Holland. 

The playoff rotation will likely be fluid from night to night depending on results, but if it comes down to shot making, Holland could be the unexpected casualty after being a mainstay in the rotation all season.