After the longest offseason in memory, the Detroit Pistons will mercifully play basketball in a preseason matchup vs. the Suns tonight at 7:00 PM ET in Little Caesar’s Arena.
Most of the drama this offseason revolved around Jalen Duren, who is not expected to play in the preseason opener after missing the start of training camp. It’s a shame that Duren won’t be in there, but it will give the Pistons a game or two to experiment with lineups they can unleash in the regular season.
The Pistons get an early look at their small-ball lineups
Who knows which players will actually play tonight, and most of the regulars are not likely to play much.
If Duren isn’t available, JB Bickerstaff could just go with Paul Reed as the starting center and keep the rest of the starting five the same with Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson and John Collins.
I shudder to think what social media would be like if Paul Reed were to have a big game as a starter, but this isn’t the lineup that intrigues me the most.
I would love to see some of John Collins at center in the preseason, as his ability to play up could help the Pistons unlock devastating offensive lineups.
It will also give Cade Cunningham the chance to do something he hasn’t been able to do for most of his career, which is to play five out surrounded by shooters.
I’ve talked about the “all shooting” lineup the Pistons can put on the floor, but almost any combination with Collins at center will make it easy to keep at least two elite 3-point shooters around Cunningham at all times, a luxury coach JB Bickerstaff did not have last season.
Getting to experiment for a few more minutes per game is the positive side of Jalen Duren being out, but let’s be real, it would be better if he wasn’t.
The Pistons have some new faces
Luckily, the Pistons projected starting lineup only has one change from last season, which is that John Collins will start at the four instead of Tobias Harris.
Collins is a veteran who has been around, so I’m sure he won’t have any problem fitting in, but it is a big change as the two are very different players. Collins mostly takes 3-point shots or dunks, much different from the shot diet of Harris, who plays in the mid-range and post.
This should open up space, and make things easier in the half court, but it’s still an adjustment for everyone involved, so it would be ideal if Duren were getting those reps tonight.
With all the drama finally over, the Pistons can turn their attention to basketball, and using the preseason to experiment with their sudden wealth of shooting while they wait for Duren's return.
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