With two months remaining before training camp opens for the Detroit Pistons, there’s still plenty of time for additional roster moves. But it has also been nearly a month since the team swung separate trades to acquire Joe Harris and Monte Morris. For now, they appear to be done dealing.
The Pistons have a promising mix of young talent and veteran leadership as they look to step forward after a season that essentially ended when Cade Cunningham opted for shin surgery in December. Based on the current roster, here’s how new head coach Monty Williams’ rotation could look on opening night, in order of minutes.
Point guard: Cade Cunningham, Monte Morris, Killian HayesShooting guard: Jaden Ivey, Alec Burks, Marcus SasserSmall forward: Bojan Bogdanovic, Ausar Thompson, Joe HarrisPower forward: Isaiah Stewart, Isaiah LiversCenter: Jalen Duren, Marvin Bagley III, James Wiseman
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That features nearly the same starting five the Pistons trotted out on opening night last season, with the lone swap being Duren for Saddiq Bey. The hope for the front office — and certainly for Williams as well — is that internal growth from the young players will help the franchise take meaningful steps forward in the wins column and put the stink of an injury-marred 2022-23 season behind it.
There shouldn’t be many surprises here. Cunningham and Ivey are Detroit’s backcourt of the future, as well as the two Pistons who have flashed the most star potential. Bogdanovic was Detroit’s best offensive player last season. Stewart is the best defensive big on the roster and is developing his outside shot, and Duren’s rebounding and athleticism will be necessary, though the Pistons will need him to improve on defense as well. But there are a couple of “ifs” left for this lineup to click, however.
The biggest one? Shooting.
Stewart knocked down 32.7% of his 3-pointers last year, cooling off after a hot start — 38.1% of his attempts through his first 29 games — and injuries limited him to just 50 total games played. Consistency will be key for him, and Williams will have a tough time benching Stewart if he finds that. Cunningham and Ivey also have to prove they can space the floor, though Ivey’s 34.3% mark on 3-pointers as a rookie was encouraging considering his struggles as a shooter in college.
The Pistons will also need defensive contributions from players other than Stewart. Cunningham and Ivey were good defenders — in spurts — as rookies. They have the tools to be above-average on that end, and they’ll need to apply those tools for the team to improve last year’s defensive rating of 117.8 — 27th in the league. That also goes for Duren, who has the physical profile of a dominant rim-protector but hasn’t mastered the necessary techniques
As far as the rest of the rotation, Williams will have some tough decisions to make.
Detroit’s guard depth is a plus
Williams should feel good about his options at both backcourt positions. Cunningham and Ivey, of course, hold the keys to the Pistons’ postseason hopes. But Burks was among the NBA’s best bench scorers last season and shot 41.4% from 3, nearly matching the career-high of 41.5% he set a season prior. And Morris, a Flint native, should have little issue playing on or off of the ball.
Morris averaged 10.3 points, 5.3 assists and shot 38.2% from 3 with the Washington Wizards last season. He has one of the lowest turnover rates in the league as well as experience playing off the ball, thanks to his time with the Denver Nuggets alongside Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic.
“I ain’t gotta be on the ball all the time, so I’ll be able to play off the ball alongside Cade, kinda like the Jamal Murray role when me and him was in the backcourt together,” Morris said. “Whatever situation they want me to play, I’ve seen it all. I’ve played third, fourth option, second option, all that. I’m just a hooper, bro. I don’t really care.”
Given that Williams has previously credited veteran point guard Ricky Rubio for giving the Phoenix Suns stability during Williams’ first season there — vduring which the team jumped from 19 to 34 wins — it’s safe to say that Morris will play substantial minutes.
Hayes and Sasser, the No. 25 overall pick whom the Pistons traded for on draft night in June, may be on the outside looking in to start the season. But there’s still a place for Hayes’ defense and playmaking as a third guard, and Sasser could put pressure on Williams’ rotation if his elite shooting and strong perimeter defense in college immediately translate.
Harris’ role is unclear
Detroit’s biggest splash of the offseason was trading for the former Brooklyn Nets wing, absorbing his expiring $19.9 million salary cap hit. A career 43.7% shooter beyond the arc, Harris can lift a team that struggled to space the floor in recent seasons. But Thompson’s high draft status and strong Las Vegas Summer League performance, as well as the glut of big men on the roster, make it harder to parse where Harris will fit into the pecking order.
At 6 feet 6, Harris is more of a wing than forward. Assuming Cunningham, Ivey, Bogdanovic, Burks, Morris and Thompson are rotation locks, it means any minutes for Harris could come out of the minutes of Detroit’s bigs. For example, Williams could have Stewart play center when Duren is off of the floor, rather than Wiseman or Bagley, and have Livers and Bogdanovic soak up the remaining minutes at power forward. Doing so would clear room for Harris at small forward.
Williams’ rotation won’t be static. There will be nights where it makes sense to play more big than small. And improved shooting from the young players would lessen the need for the Pistons to lean on Harris, who came off of the bench for the first time since the 2017-18 season for Brooklyn last season after returning from two ankle surgeries in 2021-22.
The Pistons are deep on the wing — deeper than they’ve been in recent memory. Harris’ minutes will largely depend on Thompson’s readiness for a permanent role, and Williams’ willingness to have Stewart spend more time at center instead of power forward.
Are there many developmental minutes available?
As the roster is currently constructed? No.
The Pistons want to win games next season, and they finally have enough depth to not have to rely on rookies and unproven young players more than needed.
That doesn’t guarantee we won’t see Hayes and Wiseman — both eligible for extensions as they enter their fourth seasons — play a lot. But it complicates the ongoing evaluation process for the front office, as neither player occupies positions of need — and both could have a tough time auditioning for a raise.
There’s little downside to letting both players compete for roster spots in training camp. The Pistons don’t need to make a hasty decision with either. But with both set to enter restricted free agency next summer, the team will eventually have to make a commitment in one direction or the other.
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @omarisankofa.
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