Detroit — The days of a traditional locked-in starting lineup in the NBA have slowly faded, as teams often name starters based on matchup advantages.
The strategy is key during the postseason since teams gain more familiarity with each other through four- to seven-game playoff series.
Through two games of the preseason, the Pistons have used two different starting lineups.
There was the combination of Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Saddiq Bey, Bojan Bogdanovic and Isaiah Stewart against the New York Knicks, giving the team some space and a deadeye shooter at the power forward position.
On Friday, coach Dwane Casey inserted Marvin Bagley III into the lineup alongside Stewart to give the first group some size and length to go toe-to-toe with the New Orleans Pelicans’ frontcourt of bigs.
“(We did that) to keep Bogdanovic from having to wrestle with him, but I thought he did a great job of defending (Jonas) Valanciunas in the post,” Casey said after Sunday’s practice. “But again, I wanted to give a good look at Isaiah and Marvin together. I think this year is going to be about different lineups. We can go big. We can go small. We can try a lot of different situations.”
Both lineups have advantages and disadvantages. While the addition of Bogdanovic offers the Pistons the ability to stretch the floor with perimeter shooting, the smaller lineup lacks the defensive potential of that with Bagley and Stewart.
With Jalen Duren sidelined against the Pelicans due to shoulder soreness, Bagley had double duty as a big in both the starting lineup and second unit Friday. The group with two bigs provides better rebounding support, but lacks a consistent shooter. However, both Stewart and Bagley have committed to becoming better 3-point shooters throughout their offseason workouts.
The 6-foot-11 forward spent most of the post-practice period shooting 3-pointers alongside Stewart.
“We’re interchangeable,” Bagley said. “We both been shooting this summer. His shot’s gotten a lot better. My shot’s got a lot better. It’s good to play with a guy like that because no matter where we at on the floor, we can switch spots at any time and know the plays in each spots.”
Casey even floated the idea of inserting Saddiq Bey, who’s played the forward and power forward position during his time in Detroit, at the shooting guard position, depending on the situation.
“We can put Saddiq at the (shooting guard position),” Casey said. “If something happens, somebody gets in foul trouble, (we can put) Saddiq at (shooting guard) and Cade at (point guard). There are different things we can do to make sure we cover our different lineups.”
Roster updates
Duren did not practice Sunday, however he was at the practice facility running sprints. Casey said he’s not under the impression it’s a long-term injury.
“I don’t think it’s nothing serious,” Casey said. “Just precaution. He didn’t go today. The medical people were holding him out for today, but he’s chomping at the bit to go. He needs the reps. He needs all the work he can get but we’re not going to sacrifice his health.”
It’s also still uncertain when the Pistons will see the return of Hamidou Diallo, who’s missed both preseason games due to tightness in his left quadriceps.
“He’s still nursing a quad, and that’s touchy,” Casey said. “We gotta be careful with him.”
The Pistons’ rotation and lineup situation will get more complicated once they’re back at full strength. Diallo and Alec Burks (navicular fracture) and Kevin Knox (right gastroc strain) will compete for time on the wing, and Nerlens Noel (reconditioning/plantar fasciitis) will bolster the team’s frontcourt.
Both Knox and Noel were able to do some light work with the team on Sunday.
“We’re slowly getting there and we’re going to have a quarterback controversy,” Casey said.
mcurtis@detroitnews.comTwitter: @MikeACurtis2