The Detroit Pistons enter this season with high hopes and expectations, not for this campaign but for the future. They have plenty of young and intriguing players that could turn out to be pretty great, even if they’re years away from contention.
The Pistons’ new front office has already shown a willingness to be quite aggressive and make moves, so even if this is how this team is going to start the year, that doesn’t mean that their starting five will look like that at the end of the season.
Derrick Rose and Blake Griffin are once again likely trade candidates as they look to unleash their young guns, so expect the Pistons to be involved in plenty of rumors. For now, we’ll let you know their projected starting lineup for the 2020-21 season.
Bench: Derrick Rose, Saben Lee, Wayne Ellington, LiAngelo Ball, Rodney McGruder, Saddiq Bey, Josh Jackson, Dzanan Musa, Deividas Sirvydis, Louis King, Jerami Grant, Sekou Doumbouya, Jahlil Okafor, Isaiah Stewart, Dewayne Dedmon
Point Guard: Killian Hayes
While Derrick Rose is likely going to log heavy minutes off the bench next to him, the starting point guard spot is Killian Hayes’ to lose. That only makes sense considering the Detroit Pistons took him as high as 7th overall. Also, he’s not an average rookie as he’s had plenty of experience overseas.
Hayes is one of the most intriguing prospects in this year’s class and some believe that he could end up being the biggest steal of the Draft. He’s still a bit raw as a scorer but has the upside to become an outstanding two-way point guard, so it’s only natural for them to let him grow through his mistakes.
Shooting Guard: Delon Wright
Delon Wright makes it to the Detroit Pistons as a guy with limited upside. However, that doesn’t mean that he can’t have a big role for them going forward, as they can showcase him and then offer him to teams looking to add another 3-and-D specialist.
With Wright, there are no surprises. You know what you’re getting. Nonetheless, he can get hot in the blink of an eye and knock down shot after shot, while also being able to hold his own on the defensive end of the floor. He’s not going to finish the season with the Pistons, we believe, especially if LiAngelo Ball turns out to be good.
Small Forward: Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk
Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk is one of the most underrated players on this team. He can do a little bit of everything and rarely makes mistakes, even if he’s not particularly great at anything. Then again, the Pistons are stacked at his position and there will be an open competition for the starting spot.
Let’s not forget about the fact that the Pistons believe that Sekou Doumboya is one of their cornerstones going forward, so he’s going to play more minutes even if he’s coming off the bench. Also, they still hope to bring Josh Jackson’s career back to life.
Power Forward: Blake Griffin
We feel sorry for Blake Griffin. We really do. He’s one of the most underrated and versatile players in the league but injuries, bad luck, and now a team that’s rebuilding have prevented him from achieving the superstar status we thought he’d reach.
Moving Blake Griffin’s contract can be tricky but truth to be told, the Detroit Pistons just don’t need him. They have a lot of young players that could use their minutes and Griffin would be better off by playing for a true contending team.
Center: Mason Plumlee
The Detroit Pistons made one of the most shocking moves of the offseason: signing Mason Plumlee to a big, multi-year deal. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a solid player, but perhaps they overpaid for a guy that’s been used to coming off the bench.
Mason Plumlee sets solid screens and is an above-average defender. He knows how to use his body to maintain position below the rim, but other than that, he’s not much of a factor as a scorer. The Pistons saw something on him that most of us simply don’t right now.
Next
The 2020-21 Projected Starting Lineup For The Boston Celtics
The 2020-21 Projected Starting Lineup For The Brooklyn Nets
The 2020-21 Projected Starting Lineup For The Chicago Bulls
The 2020-21 Projected Starting Lineup For The Dallas Mavericks
The 2020-21 Projected Starting Lineup For The Denver Nuggets
