The Detroit Pistons lost last night, and Caris LeVert was once again a non-factor, but that’s not going to stop JB Bickerstaff from playing him.
Coach Bickerstaff was asked after the game about the possibility of tightening up his rotation, to which he responded: “I don’t think so. We’re so comfortable with the depth and the guys we have...Typically in the past, nine is a great number. But we’re struggling to get away from 12.”
Twelve?!?
The Pistons used just 10 players last night, so at least coach isn’t still running a dozen guys out per game, but if the fans had their way, the rotation would be trimmed by one, and we all know who it is, except maybe coach Bickerstaff himself.
Caris LeVert is the odd man out of the Pistons’ rotation
I don’t want to turn this into a “let’s gang up on the scapegoat role player” because that nonsense happens every year. I want LeVert to be good and do think it’s a problem for the Pistons that he hasn’t been. If the Pistons were getting 14 points per game from him as he's done for most of his career, it would be a game-changer for the bench. But he hasn't.
There was plenty of blame to go around last night, but LeVert once again put in an ineffective shift, scoring just two points in 13 minutes, missing all three of his attempts from long range.
LeVert has been consistently ineffective, and the numbers prove it, as the Pistons are eight points better this season when he’s off the floor than when he’s on.
At some point, something has to give here, as coach Bickerstaff hasn’t really even tried anything else, which would include Marcus Sasser or Kevin Huerter or even more of Paul Reed, who has been great this season.
The other option is just to shorten the rotation, which may have to happen in the playoffs anyway, and if so, LeVert should be the odd man out.
LeVert is a man without a role
Caris LeVert is the only player on the roster whose role is unclear. If you asked me about any other guy, I could tell you exactly what he’s meant to be doing, but with LeVert, I’m still not sure.
He’s not a good ball handler or creator and often ends up overdribbling and making bad decisions. He hasn’t been good off the ball either, as he’s shooting the lowest percentage of his career and takes a lot of bad, high-degree-of-difficulty shots that look great when they go in but absolutely atrocious when they don’t.
Daniss Jenkins has been playing poorly lately as well, but he at least has a defined role as the guy who handles the ball when Cade Cunningham is out. Jenkins goes all-out on defense as well, another thing that differentiates him from LeVert.
Coach Bickerstaff may need an intervention here, as he stubbornly keeps throwing the same guy out there even though there is ample proof it’s not working, and he has other options sitting on the bench.