Battle of The Benchwarmers
Detroit's starting lineup appears to be concrete three contests into the regular season. The remarkable guard play from Cade and Ivey has been a sight to see as our future backcourt prepares to wreak havoc upon this league. The seamless fit with Bogdanovic and Bey complementing one another is also a bonus for Dwayne Casey's lineup experimentations. Though Isaiah Stewart starts at the five, he still plays a stretch four role in the various lineups throughout the exhibition. These starting positions may not change anytime soon; however, the spread of bench minutes is still subject to change and appears to be a toss-up at times.
Backcourt:
Cory Joseph, Killian Hayes, and Hamidou Diallo are already in a tight race for minutes coming off the bench(excluding Alex Burks). CoJo has been surprisingly efficient and has made shots of extremely high degrees of difficulty when needed most. Oftentimes, these shots keep the Pistons in the game while the starting lineup rests. He has shot 60% from the field and 80% from three thus far. Despite fan perception, Joseph brings the authentic veteran experience needed to lead this team without our young starting duo. He currently plays around 14.3 MPG compared to Killian's 17.0.
As a result, we may see Dwayne Casey tamper with the minute distribution as the season progresses due to Killian's poor shooting percentages. On paper, his production is significantly low, with 16.7 FG% and 11.1% shooting from three. Comparatively, Hamidou Diallo has also struggled with decreased minutes. His explosive slashing qualities are still imperative to bench success; however, he has been a step off this season due to his erratic movement and pace.
Although Hayes' increased aggression and composure have aided his game, he will need to do more to fend off Cojo and Diallo.
Frontcourt:
The addition of Bogdanovic has undoubtedly changed the dynamic lineup of the Summer League, with Jalen starting at the five and Stewart positioned at the four. His role on this squad has been vital for scoring as he leads the team in this statistic (19.3 PPG).
Unfortunately for Duren, he will continue to come off the bench to crash boards and bring electric rim-running play. Despite the current distribution, in which Stewart plays 28.7 minutes, and Duren plays 21.0, it may be beneficial to rotate lineups more often to allow the tandem to play together. By doing so, this lineup will gain chemistry and be more experienced if Troy Weaver decides to trade Bogdanovic at the deadline. Furthermore, Stewart can continue to evolve into a stretch four and allow Jalen Duren to develop into the dominant, above-the-rim five he is destined to become.
Isaiah Livers is also in a difficult position - clawing for more playing time against the proven talent above him. His return from injury has been exciting, and if he continues his impressive shooting streak, hustle, and vocal leadership, he will surely make a case for an increased role.
This team is exceptionally young and will need yet another season to develop and adjust to the NBA. The play-in aspirations are looking increasingly far-fetched; however, it is still early, and adjustments will need to be made in order to turn this ship around - perhaps starting with bench rotations. This is far from the only component of necessary adjustments, though it is an excellent place to start.
