With only 31 games played this season, it’s too early to talk about the playoffs for the Detroit Pistons, but I am going to do it anyway.
The Pistons currently sit in 9th position with a chance to tie for 8th with a win tonight in Denver. A win would put them just two games out of the 6th and final guaranteed playoff spot, so even though we are still in the early days of the season, the Pistons are in the mix.
Whether they stay there is anyone’s guess, but this team does have a much different feel around them this season, namely that they have confidence they can win.
The Pistons are fringe team, as they are near the county lines of both the playoffs and the bottom four.
Often fringe teams need someone to come out of the blue, to get contributions from someone they were not counting on to push them in the right direction.
Here are three players the Pistons have gotten little from so far who could end up being that guy whose unexpected contribution makes them a playoff team.
Bobi Klintman
The rookie hasn’t played for the Pistons yet and has only logged three games in the G-League, so it’s doubtful he’s in the rotation anytime soon.
It might take an injury for Klintman to get any real run or the Pistons could bring him up for depth later in the season, but they could use his theoretical shooting and size at the four.
Could he come up from the G-League at some point and give Detroit a boost?
Marcus Sasser
I have to hand it to Sasser, he’s been very good this year when called upon and has kept himself ready even though he’s gotten inconsistent minutes.
He’s made plays on both sides of the ball, including against the Kings, where he was a bit of an unsung hero who hit a momentum-changing 3-pointer and got a steal to keep the Pistons alive in the 4th quarter.
He’s hit 53 percent of his shots overall and 41 percent from long range and has done it even though he doesn’t know if he’ll play from one game to the next.
I have a feeling Sasser is going to win a game or two for the Pistons at some point, have one of those outings where he unexpectedly hits 6-7 from long range.
Simone Fontecchio
After signing him to a 2-year deal in the offseason the Pistons have gotten little from Fontecchio, who has been the forgotten man in the offense.
He’s only shot 35 percent from long range and is playing just over half the number of minutes he was playing last season. He’s clearly struggled to find his place in the offense at times, but is starting to pick it up.
He’s shot 52.2 percent over his last five games and 38.5 percent from 3-point range, hopefully a sign that things are starting to click.
Like Sasser, he’s a guy who could get hot and win a game or two for the Pistons with his 3-point shooting.
He’s also a player who could draw some attention on the trade market, so Fontecchio could be an X-Factor in a couple of ways.