2018-2019 POP Season Preview: Dwane Casey Belives in Langston Galloway

In the 2017 offseason, Stan Van Gundy was once again frugal with the Pistons' money. In the early days of free agency, he signed guard Langston Galloway to a lucrative long-term deal. The contract was for three-years, and Galloway would make $7 million annually. His decision to accept was a no-brainer, and Galloway became a Piston.

The deal signified a big role for Galloway off Detroit's bench. He could play either guard spot, shoot 3-pointers at an efficient rate, and could be plugged into many different lineups.

The validity of the signing of Galloway is fair - Detroit drafted Luke Kennard and ended up trading for Avery Bradley shortly after coming to terms with him - but he has the talent to play legitimate NBA minutes.

Yet his usage was sporadic. While he appeared in 58 games, Galloway averaged just 14.9 minutes in those appearances, a career low.

For his sake, it would be best to look past Galloway's first season with the Pistons. He was not given a good enough opportunity or put in the right position to succeed. He averaged career lows across the board because his playing time was never steady and Van Gundy used him incorrectly.

But through three preseason games, Galloway has shown the type of value he provides to the Pistons, ad Dwane Casey has recognized it. While he had become an afterthought in the expected rotation for Detroit this upcoming year, Galloway has shined on the court after Casey unleashed him.

On Monday night against the Brooklyn Nets, Galloway poured in 24 points while adding two rebounds and two assists in 36 minutes of action.

https://twitter.com/nbagleague/status/1049485431539142656

These highlights display exactly why Galloway will thrive under Dwane Casey. Each shot in the video besides one mid-range jumper comes at the rim or from beyond the arc. As a player, Galloway is the archetype for Casey's system. He rarely shoots from anywhere but the 3-point line, and when he does it is at the rim.

With Detroit's depth on the wing between Kennard, Reggie Bullock, Stanley Johnson, and Glenn Robinson III, it will be tough for Galloway to maintain steady minutes. One way it may work is if Casey uses three-guard lineups. He has used these types of lineups so far in preseason and did it in Toronto as well.

Casey provides the best opportunity for Galloway to succeed in the NBA, and he must be ready to capitalize on it. Detroit would love to see a nice return from him this season after a lowly 2017-2018 year. For now, Galloway needs to continue to impress in the remaining preseason games.

Featured Image: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports