The Detroit Pistons undoubtedly have high hopes heading into this season. They want to win a championship. Plain and simple. And one of the biggest assets the Pistons will have in their cabinet is their depth. The Pistons have a lot of depth. It will be up to JB Bickerstaff to use it, and he’s well aware of what a challenge that could end up being.
“We’ve gotta make some tough decisions, but it’s an 82-game season and we’ve proven we’re gonna give guys opportunities throughout the 82,” Bickerstaff said via Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. It is going to be a long season for the Pistons. And there will definitely be plenty of opportunities to go around. That should be music to the ears of Ebuka Okorie.
Okorie was the Pistons’ 17th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and he’s certainly shown enough to believe that he deserves some minutes this year. The fact that Bickerstaff is going to be doling out chances to seemingly everyone is good news for him.
Pistons depth reliance is good news for Ebuka Okorie
It’s not always easy for rookies to get minutes. In fact, for some coaches, playing rookies isn’t a regularity. But if the right rookie comes along, then minutes are sometimes warranted.
In the case of Okorie, he may be one of those rookies. And the fact that Bickerstaff seems willing to lean on his depth this season is great news, because it means that, in all likelihood, his name will be called at some point.
During his one year at Stanford, Okorie was a creator. He looked like the type of guy who can carry an offense at times. And that’s something the Pistons need, especially considering their relative lack of creation outside of Cade Cunningham.
And so far this preseason, Okorie has been flashing some of his potential. He hasn’t shot the ball super well, but he’s been a pretty efficient scoring presence outside of that.
The Pistons have a chance to develop one of the deepest rosters in the league, and Okorie could be a big part of that. Obviously, he may be a rookie, but if the talent is there – and the Pistons let him show it off – he could begin to thrive sooner rather than later.
Detroit currently doesn’t have a true backup point guard behind Cunningham. Okorie could carve out that role, though Ausar Thompson will certainly have a chance to handle the ball a bit, too.
Bickerstaff’s apparent desire to capitalize on Detroit’s depth bodes well for Okorie’s chances at playing real minutes this season.
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