5 Most important positional battles for the Pistons next season

Starting small forward 

-Ausar Thompson 

-Simone Fontecchio 

-Ron Holland II 

It’s hard to see the rookie Holland beating out both of these guys, at least early in the season, but we do have to keep in mind that he was Trajan Langdon’s first draft pick, so his development will also be a priority. 

But at the beginning of the season, it will be a battle between Thompson and Fontecchio and it goes back to the original question of how Bickerstaff is going to prioritize development vs. wins and how he wants to deploy his shooters to best complement Cade Cunningham. 

I’d like to see both these players as starters with Cade, Harris and Duren, with Ivey as the first offensive option off the bench. But if Ivey starts, then Bickerstaff is going to have to choose between these two. 

I expect Ausar Thompson will get the nod, and that he’ll be a part of a lot of these lineups at different positions. As long as he’s healthy, he should lead the Pistons in minutes next season because of his ability to defend all over the court and slot into nearly any position. 

We’ll know by the lineups and rotations how the Pistons feel about their young players and whether they are going to prioritize their development over maximizing wins.