UA-59049186-1 NBA Team Preview: Detroit Pistons - Good if it Goes

NBA Team Preview: Detroit Pistons

Offseason:

Draft Picks: 18. PF. Henry Ellenson: 6’11, 245, 49. SF. Michael Gbinije

Key Acquisitions: PG. Ish Smith, PF. Jon Leuer

Key Losses: PF. Anthony Toliver

Player Profiles

Projected Lineup:

PG. Reggie Jackson: 6’3, 208

  • Athletic PG with good size that is a scorer and playmaker.
  • Good up and upcoming young PG that runs the PnR well. He’s adept at finding teammates and has good vision. Not a great outside shooter but good enough to garner the respect of defenders on the perimeter where he can still utilize his physical traits and get into the lane.
  • Hasn’t quite figured out how to use his physical gifts to be a plus defender yet, but flashes potential here and there.

SG. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: 6’5, 205

  • Young, defensive-minded wing that’s improving as a scorer.
  • His 3-point shot is a still very much a work in progress but he’s a pretty good mid-range shooter.
  • Tough lockdown defender on the verge of elite status. His on-ball defense was terrific and he works hard to stick to his guy wherever he goes and accompanies most shot attempts with a hand to the face.

SF. Marcus Morris: 6’9, 235

  • Combo forward with a well rounded game. He defends, shoots and passes.
  • Jack-of-all-trades, master of none type of player on offense. Not a great shooter but a good one, not a great post player but can score with his back to the basket, and not a true playmaker and ball handler but comfortable moving the ball and finding teammates off the catch.
  • Not a great defensive player but not a bad one either. Not the most athletic or shiftiest guy but he plays hard and uses his size to his advantage.

PF. Tobias Harris: 6’9, 235

  • Highly-skilled scoring combo forward that creates a big mismatch for opposing 4s.
  • Big time scoring forward that gets it done the majority of the time with the ball in his hands. He found his niche in Detroit as a small ball 4 scoring off the catch by attacking close outs and finishing or pulling up. He’s good in the high post facing the basket because he can pull up and shoot over defenders or put the ball on the floor.
  • Weak defender at both forward spots, but can be better hidden at the 4.

C. Andre Drummond: 6’11, 279

  • Physically imposing all-star center that dominates at both ends.
  • Elite dive man in PnR. Creates opportunities for his teammates as a screener because defenses are terrified to let him roll to the basket and catch it with a head of steam. He’s a thunderous dunker and finisher around the basket. His biggest flaw is his FT shooting which he must improve if he wants to take it to the next level.
  • Elite defensive player that can do a lot of things. Flies around rotating and helping and sending back shots. He’s almost impossible to post up and score on because of his brute power and inability to move.

Bench:

SF. Stanley Johnson: 6’7, 245

  • Huge 2nd year SF that has already proven to be a good defender and has a developing offensive game.
  • He must shoot the ball better but he shows potential to be able to do that. He’s comfortable operating as a PnR ball handler both to score or pass. Willing to work hard and do the dirty work on the offensive glass.
  • Showed tremendous promise moving forward to be a very good defender and wasn’t bad at all in his rookie year. More importantly than any of his abilities or tools was the willingness and effort he showed on the defensive end.

PG. Ish Smith: 6’0, 175

  • Undersized pass first PG that loves to set up his teammates.
  • He’s not a very good shooter or scorer but he does run the offense and passes the ball well.
  • Not a very athletic player and not overly quick given his size which causes him to struggle as a defender.

PF. Jon Leuer: 6’10, 228

  • Stretch 4 that rebounds and isn’t a liability on defense.
  • Offensively Leuer thrives as a off ball option. He moves well and can finish at a high percentage around the basket. He’s also a good mid-range shooter and 3 point shooter.
  • Not an impact defender but wasn’t horrible either. He has limitations but plays smart and gives effort to overcome them.

C. Aron Baynes: 6’10, 260

  • Physical center that rebounds and defends.
  • He’s not much of a shooter or post scorer but he’s a capable finisher off the catch on dump offs and diving in PnR.
  • Quality defensive big that blocks shots and is a tough presence in the interior and on the glass but not very mobile.

PF. Henry Ellenson: 6’11, 245

  • Highly skilled 3 position front court player who was a highly effective offensive player in college.
  • He has a rare combo of skills for a guy his size. Though inconsistent he has some shooting ability all the way out to 3 point range. Handles the ball well and can even run a break. He’s a threat to score with his back to the basket or facing up.
  • Defense was the biggest concern about him coming out and if he defends the way he did in college he won’t see the floor much. Looked horrible and out of place defending on the perimeter and wasn’t much better defending in the interior.

SG. Reggie Bullock: 6’7, 205

  • Once streaky shooter that found his 3 point stroke last season in limited action.
  • It remains to be seen if he can shoot the 3 over 82 games as a regular rotation guy but if he can he can garner the title of 3 point specialist. Over half of his shot attempts were from 3 a year ago and he hit over 40% of them.
  • Below average defender that has the size and talent to be better.

PG. Ray McCallum: 6’3, 190

  • Athletic combo guard that can shoot 3s.
  • Not the purest PG. Average at best distributor but he can make spot up 3s.
  • He’s a career negative defender. Given his size and athleticism should be a better defensive player.

C. Boban Marjanovic: 7’3, 290

  • Huge slow center that can be efficient on offense but is very slow and incapable of playing many minutes.
  • Offensively he uses his size very well and it’s easy for him to finish around the basket. He was an elite offensive rebounder.
  • Can definitely protect the rim and make things difficult on the interior but he’s just too slow to play defense in the modern NBA outside the paint.

 

Breakdown:

The Pistons will bring back the exact same starting 5 that they had the majority of last season. This year, the frontcourt could be even better. They acquired Tobias Harris mid-season and he played well. Harris looked a lot better as a small ball 4 in Stan Van Gundy’s offense than he did in Orlando and with an entire offseason to get used to his teammates he should be even better this season. Marcus Morris returns as the other forward on the wing and brings value on both ends of the floor. Their best player, Andre Drummond, is the starting center and has always been a force defensively and last year made strides to be more offensively. If he can be a legitimate offensive scorer that can not only score in PnR but on the block in post ups and hit more FTs he can establish himself as an elite player in the league. Both players in the Pistons starting backcourt look to improve their game in 2016/17. Reggie Jackson, the starting PG, proved he can run an offense and be more than a scorer but he needs to continue to improve as a shooter and a defender. Their starting SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will also look to improve as a shooter and hopefully become a 3 and D wing which would really help make Van Gundy’s 4 out, 1 in offense go. The Harris, Morris duo is good offensively but they can be a liability on defense and that’s a little worrisome.

The Pistons bench was an issue last year and they added a few pieces but overall it’s still not a great bench. It starts with 2nd-year forward Stanley Johnson who is a talented young prospect but needs to shoot the ball better. Their biggest new additions were Ish Smith and Jon Leuer. Smith gives the Pistons a legitimate back up PG which was a huge problem for them a year ago. Leuer gives them a replacement for Anthony Toliver and is the traditional stretch 4 that Van Gundy likes to have on his roster. The rest of the bench is shaky. Boban can’t be counted on to play a lot of minutes and even if he does teams will PnR him to death. Ellenson has a lot of promise but I’m not sure he’s ready for a major role on a contending team. Bullock has a chance to crack the rotation and will probably get consistent minutes as long as he’s making 3s but what else can he bring to the table?

Expectations:

My expectations for the Pistons is for them to be back in the playoffs. It’s highly possible that their entire starting lineup could all be better players this year than they were last year and even though the bench isn’t great it is better than last year. The Pistons will be very difficult to defend with Harris at the 4 because of his scoring and ball handling ability. I expect Caldwell-Pope to shoot the 3 better and I expect the Pistons to play better team defense. The bench will provide more scoring and allow Van Gundy to give the starters more rest. They will be more experienced and well coached.

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