Most of the talk around the Detroit Pistons the last five seasons has been about the future, as the present was too grim to face.
We debated which young players would ultimately be part of the day when the Pistons were good and have already struck many names off the list.
At one point, Saddiq Bey, Killian Hayes and Saben Lee were part of the “Core 4” that Troy Weaver was so proud of.
Things are a lot better now, as the Pistons do finally have guys who look the part around Cade Cunningham in Ausar Thompson, Ron Holland II and Jaden Ivey, though there are questions about how they are all going to fit.
It’s doubtful the Pistons can keep them all, especially when you factor in Jalen Duren, who like Ivey is eligible for an extension next summer.
To me, there are three players who are a clear part of the future. You can argue the power forward and center positions, but the Pistons already have 1-3 in place.
The Pistons future starts with Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland II
We’ve argued endlessly about the perfect types of players to put around Cade Cunningham, and while Thompson and Holland may not tick every box, they aren’t far away.
Both are versatile defenders who can take on tough assignments. Both play with non-stop energy and hustle. Both guys are fearless taking it to the rim and are forces in transition.
The biggest knock would be the 3-point shooting but even that is showing signs of improvement for both guys.
Thompson has hit 30 percent of his 3-pointers in a tiny sample size since returning, but looks more comfortable, more willing to shoot and has a much-improved form that looks sustainable.
After a rocky start offensively, rookie Ron Holland has been much better and looks far more comfortable and confident than he did at the beginning of the season. In his last 10 games, Holland has averaged 7.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and an assist while shooting 56.4 percent from the floor and 38.9 percent from long range.
We have to see if those shooting numbers are sustainable, especially on higher volume, but if Thompson and Holland are going to shoot around league average, they are going to be tough to stop, as they can already get to the rim at will and are weapons in transition and making cuts in the half court.
We saw a burgeoning chemistry between Cade Cunningham and Ausar Thompson in the last game, as Cade hit him for a couple of dunks.
I love the idea of having two tall wings around Cade who get after it on defense, as it’s a winning formula we’ve seen teams like Minnesota employ successfully in recent years.
From there you get a four who can shoot and the Pistons starting five of the future may be complete.
Jaden Ivey is the odd man out
Jaden Ivey is a better offensive player than either Thompson or Holland at this point, but he’s still a big defensive negative and doesn’t offer much else when he isn’t scoring, unlike the first two.
This doesn’t mean they have to trade him, or that Ivey doesn’t have a future with this team, but to me, he profiles as a perfect 6th man, a guy who can come off the bench and change the pace of the game offensively, score in bunches and play with the ball in his hands.
But if the Pistons are going to build a defensive identity, it starts on the wings and they are a much-better defensive team with Thompson and Holland on the floor. It may not happen much this season, but those two will eventually be part of the Pistons starting five.