Loyalty could be the Pistons' biggest enemy in the playoffs

JB Bickerstaff’s toughest challenge entering the playoffs is honing the Detroit Pistons’ rotation, as they have a lot of guys worthy of minutes, and he can’t let his loyalty blind him to those options. 

I’ve outlined a possible playoff rotation for the Pistons that didn’t include either Javonte Green or Caris LeVert, which may not be what coach Bickerstaff has in mind. 

Daniss Jenkins, Kevin Huerter and Ron Holland (to go along with Beef Stew) would be my choices, as they have all been playing well of late and deserve to keep that momentum going in the playoffs. 

But JB Bickerstaff has leaned on his veterans all season, particularly Javonte Green, who appeared in all 82 games. It’s not Green that concerns me, it’s Caris LeVert, who has been mostly ineffective this season as JB keeps running him out there. 

Coach Bickerstaff can’t let loyalty blind him to reality 

Coach Bickerstaff and LeVert have history that goes back to their time together in Cleveland, and JB was undoubtedly one of the reasons LeVert ended up in Detroit. 

He’s been loyal to his veteran all season even though there hasn’t been much return on that investment. LeVert has looked a bit better recently, but he has still been soundly outplayed by Jenkins, Huerter and Holland. 

I’d throw Javonte Green on that list as well, so Green, not LeVert, should be the first backup plan if one of the youngsters isn’t up to the task. 

I highly doubt this will be the case, as Bickerstaff clearly trusts LeVert, who does have 25 games of playoff experience under his belt. 

The Pistons rotation will be a vibe check 

Even though LeVert has been bad and probably shouldn’t be in the initial playoff rotation, I’ve been saying all season that I have a feeling he’s going to come up big in the playoffs. 

Coach Bickerstaff has options, so he has to just go with the one that is working at the time and not worry about who is getting minutes. The guys who are playing well should get them, and that may be fluid from game to game, so coach Bickerstaff has to remain flexible and know that those names aren’t etched in stone. 

It does feel like LeVert and Green will have parts to play in this year’s playoffs, but it can’t be at the expense of the guys who are currently playing better. If that changes, so should the rotation, It's that simple. 

Outside of the top six guys, the Pistons will have to rely on a nightly vibe check to see what’s clicking, so I hope coach Bickerstaff is able to adjust on the fly, ride the hot hands and make the most of his bench in the playoffs. 

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