Detroit — The Pistons open in the Las Vegas Summer League on early Friday morning, with the second game on the NBA slate for the annual July bonanza.
There’s significant excitement about the Pistons’ roster, which includes Cade Cunningham, Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart, Killian Hayes, as well as No. 5 overall pick Jaden Ivey. There are also two of last season’s second-round picks, Isaiah Livers and Balsa Koprivica, who will be worth watching.
When the Pistons’ draft-night trade for No. 13 pick Jalen Duren clears the league office, he’ll also likely be added to the roster.
That’s a lot of talent on one roster, especially for the Summer League. The big question is whether all of them — especially the young core players such as Cunningham and Bey — will play extensively, or at all.
The Pistons’ five-game schedule brings plenty of questions but should provide plenty of intrigue as they embark on the first step of prepping for next season. Here are some things to watch in Summer League:
► Who’s playing?: Will the Pistons let Cunningham, Bey, Stewart and Hayes play extensively? Well, yes and no. It would be surprising to see Cunningham and Bey play more than one game. Coach Dwane Casey said Sunday that having them on the Summer League roster was more of a plan to enable them to practice with the new players and to start establishing chemistry early. With so many new pieces, that’s a smart move, but putting Bey — who looked like a man among boys last summer — or Cunningham in harm’s way, even for an exhibition, seems unnecessary. Stewart might see some time as he works on a hybrid role of being a power forward and center, so there’s an argument for that. Even still, it might not be extensive playing time for him.
► Looking at Ivey: Ivey could end up being the focal point of the offense, depending on how many of the other “veterans” end up playing significant minutes. He’s renowned for his speed and ability to get to the rim, so it’ll be worth watching to see if he can finish at the rim and whether he can find his way to the free-throw line because defenders can’t stay with him. It’ll also be fun to see whether his perimeter game has improved and if he can develop an inside-outside game to keep defenses honest. Most of all, the key will be just making sure Ivey is comfortable at the pro level and that the game isn’t moving too fast for him or that he’s turning the ball over too much. If he’s able to establish any chemistry with Cunningham or Hayes, that’s a plus too.
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► What about Duren? With Wednesday being the first day that free agents were allowed to sign officially, there was some backup in the processing of trades, and the league office might need some time to get everything done. The Pistons announced the trade that sent Jerami Grant to the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, which gives an indication of the backlog of transactions. It’ll happen in due time, and even if Duren doesn’t play in the opener, there will be plenty of opportunity in the following four games. The 6-foot-11 big man who played at Memphis is only 18 years old, so there shouldn’t be wild expectations out of the gate, but there’s some anticipation that he could be a nice addition to the roster.
► Keep an eye on Hayes: Although he’s had his ups and downs in his first two seasons, Hayes could be a pivotal part of this Summer League roster. It’ll be interesting to see how he’s worked on his 3-point shot and ability to create offense for himself in the offseason, and if he’s ready to take another step forward in his development. He’ll have Ivey and likely Duren to play off of offensively. Duren can be a significant pick-and-roll piece for Hayes, and helping to bring Ivey along quickly will be one of his assignments. Hayes is likely to play more than the other second- and third-year players, but a good showing could bode well for his future with the Pistons — as well as their outlook for their second unit.
► Buddy ball: One of the under-the-radar additions was 6-foot-6 wing Buddy Boeheim from Syracuse, who was signed as a two-way player. Boeheim posted 19.2 points and led the ACC in scoring. He’s regarded as a 3-point-shooting threat and if that translates in Summer League, that could impact how much time he could split between the Pistons and Motor City Cruise in the G League. He stood out in the ACC, which is significant, where he played high-level competition, and he went undrafted, so the Pistons and general manager Troy Weaver may have seen something that they liked in his game tape. The Pistons need more wing options, and if Boeheim can pan out, that would help their situation.
Pistons vs. Trail Blazers
Tipoff: Midnight (ET) Friday, Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas
TV: ESPN
Outlook: The Pistons open Summer League play with the late game, where they’ll get their first chance to see rookies Jaden Ivey and possibly Jalen Duren. The Blazers have rookie Shaedon Sharpe, who was a possible Pistons selection but went to Portland with the No. 7 pick.
Rod.Beard@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @detnewsRodBeard