Pistons playoff rotation has two backup plans

Now that the regular season is over, the focus will turn to Pistons’ playoff rotation and who is going to be in it. Coach JB Bickerstaff has used 10-11 players almost all season, but will he stick with an expanded rotation in the playoffs? 

It’s unlikely. The starters are going to play more minutes than usual, which will take away possible minutes on the fringes, and it’s far more likely that coach Bickerstaff sticks with nine or maybe 10 players at most. 

Who those players will be might change from night to night, and luckily JB Bickerstaff will have options. 

The Pistons playoff rotation 

If I had to bet on which nine players will start in the rotation, it would look something like this: 

Cade Cunningham 

Duncan Robinson 

Ausar Thompson 

Tobias Harris 

Jalen Duren 

This will undoubtedly be the starting five, as it’s the most used group this season and the one with the highest net rating. 

The bench will likely look like this: 

Isaiah Stewart 

Daniss Jenkins 

Kevin Huerter 

Ron Holland II 

These four players have done more to separate themselves from the pack, though Paul Reed certainly deserves a shout out here. He’s arguably been the Pistons’ second-best bench player this season, but he could be cut out of the playoff rotation unless there are foul trouble or injuries to deal with. 

That’s not much playoff experience coming off the bench though, so coach Bickerstaff may have to turn to other options if guys like Daniss Jenkins and Ron Holland look overwhelmed by the moment. 

The Pistons have playoff experience to tap into 

Holland has been making 3-point shots at a higher clip of late, and if that continues, it’s hard to see any way he won’t be in the rotation. 

But if Holland isn’t impactful, coach Bickerstaff has options. 

The first is Javonte Green, the only Pistons player to appear in all 82 games this season. Given that, it’s hard to imagine he won’t be on the floor at some point, especially considering he leads all bench players in the NBA in steals and has shot the lights out from the corner three, two skills the Pistons may need. 

Green has appeared in 12 playoff games between the Celtics, Bulls and Cavaliers, so does have some experience on the big stage. 

Pistons fans might not want to hear this, but Caris LeVert is also an option we will likely see at some point. LeVert has had the worst season of his career, there is no way to sugarcoat it, but he has been better lately, especially defensively, and does offer playoff experience. 

LeVert has appeared in 25 playoff games in four different playoffs between the Nets and Cavs. He averaged over 20 points per game over two different playoffs with the Nets and has averaged 15 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game in the playoffs for his career. 

All of these guys will see run at some point, and it will come down to who is making the most impact. Coach Bickerstaff may start with the young guys, but if they falter, he does have veteran experience to lean on. 

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