The Pistons have already secured the top seed in the East, so they approached their game against the Magic on Monday night with an experimental lens. Detroit rolled out a starting lineup featuring both Jalen Duren and Paul Reed that had disastrous results. Even though the rotation decision may have cost them a regular season game, it’s good information to have ahead of the playoffs.
Jalen Duren and Paul Reed cannot coexist
Duren and Reed are both best playing at center, and that led to problems on both ends when they shared the court. Offensively, there were spacing issues since neither is a potent outside shooter. And defensively there were also concerns with Reed having to guard perimeter players and both guys not being the fastest in transition defense.
The problems were only magnified by having Ausar Thompson in the lineup alongside them. Make no mistake about it, Thompson has been incredible for the Pistons lately. But his lack of shooting from the small forward spot was a terrible fit alongside the double big configuration.
Still, it’s better for the Pistons to learn this lesson now rather than in the playoffs. It’s not far fetched to think of a desperate situation in a playoff game where going with double bigs could be tempting. Having more evidence of how that lineup could perform beforehand is always a good thing, since the top seed is already locked up.
Isaiah Stewart is a different story
And the Pistons do still have another option for adding size with two bigs sharing the court. Backup center Isaiah Stewart is currently sidelined with an injury along with Cade Cunningham, but both hope to return before the playoffs. And Stew’s unique skillset makes him compatible with either Duren or Reed.
Unlike the more traditional centers, Stewart is willing to take (and make) a high dosage of 3-pointers. And he’s one of the most switchable bigs in the league on the defensive end. Stewart definitely has the right attributes to thrive in an oversized power forward spot for brief stretches or to counter another team’s double-big lineup.
But Stewart isn’t always a guarantee to play big minutes. He’s dealt with his fair share of injuries and foul trouble throughout his career. The temptation to continue replicating a double-big lineup even when he needs a rest may have been lurking, but now the Pistons know not to try it.