My Detroit Pistons Opening Night Bench Rotation
Rounding out what MY Detroit Pistons opening night rotation would look like.
After a very busy offseason, the Detroit Pistons roster looks much different than it did at the end of the season back in April. Heading towards the start of the new season, several offseason acquisitions by Trajan Langdon have the Pistons looking to be a more competitive team than in years prior.
Last week, I wrote about what my starting lineup would look like for Detroit following this offseason. Now let’s go over what my bench rotation would be in tandem with that starting group.
For reference, my starting lineup was:
G: Cade Cunningham
G: Jaden Ivey
F: Simone Fontecchio
F: Tobias Harris
C: Jalen Duren
Understand that as I explain my bench rotation, I would always have one of Cunningham or Ivey on the court as the team’s point guard. That said, I will not include a traditional backup point guard in this rotation.
With Monty Williams gone, the Pistons should shy away from all bench lineups, a concept that hindered Detroit this past year.
Instead, new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff should embrace mixing his starters with his bench rotation throughout each game.
That being said, here are the five players that would round out my Detroit Pistons opening night rotation.
G: Malik Beasley
A great offseason addition for Detroit, Beasley will bring a mix of shooting, experience, and an under-appreciated defensive ability to a team in need of all three tools.
He is a career 38.5% 3-point shooter who averaged 11.3 points on 41.3% from deep last season.
Defensively, he was tasked with being Milwaukee’s point-of-attack defender and was a bit overwhelmed trying to salvage a putrid defensive team around him. He is not someone you want guarding the opposing team’s best guard, but he can hold his own on that end of the court.
There’s a chance Beasley is a part of Detroit’s starting lineup, but if he isn’t, I’d be absolutely floored if he didn’t play a high number of minutes off the bench.
G: Tim Hardaway Jr.
Acquiring Tim Hardaway Jr. was the first move of Trajan Langdon’s tenure in Detroit. With that being said, I don’t believe Langdon made the deal solely for the three second round picks that the Pistons received in the trade alongside him.
While Hardaway was in and out of the rotation for the Dallas Mavericks this past season, especially in the playoffs, Hardaway should be able to give Detroit some punch off the bench.
F: Ron Holland
Holland is a raw offensive talent, but I struggle to see him not getting at least a handful of minutes nightly, even in a smaller role relative to others.
His size, energy, and ability to compete defensively could earn him minutes right away. However, there will be growing pains with him. He struggled to finish at the rim and shot just 23% from the 3-point line in Summer League, but his development is important for Detroit’s future.
Would the Pistons, likely a non-playoff team, really not include their top-five pick in their rotation?
F: Ausar Thompson
Thompson has a case to be featured in Detroit's starting lineup, but I opted against including him to prioritize spacing around Cade Cunningham.
Even if he does not start, he should have a significant role with the Pistons, and could very well find himself in the closing lineup of many games.
Thompson needs to show improvement on the offensive side of the court. Outside of finishing at the rim and a unique offensive rebounding ability, Thompson’s inability to knock down outside shots or create for others limits his overall impact on the game.
The Pistons will rely on him for his ability to impact the game on the defensive end of the floor and for the all-around energy that he plays with.
As he continues to develop, as well as work his way back onto the court after his rookie season ended early due to blood clots, the Pistons can opt to ease him back into action with a deeper group of forwards on this roster.
C: Isaiah Stewart
I believe the days of Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren starting in the front court together are over. That being said, Stewart will still have a big role on this roster.
Although his volume took a slight dip last season, Stewart did shoot 38% from the 3-point line. He is an emotional leader who can contribute on both ends of the floor, despite his shortcomings.
The Pistons have to hope Stewart will stay healthy this upcoming season. He played just 50 games in the 2022-23 season, and only 46 last year.
Wrapping Up
Between Beasley, Holland, Thompson, and Stewart, Detroit can bring a number of high-intensity, defensive-minded players off the bench.
It is important to emphasize this is what MY rotation would look like if I were in charge. It’s very likely J.B. Bickerstaff feels differently, and his rotation will look different than what I have suggested.
You may also feel differently. Make sure to leave a comment with what your ideal Pistons rotation would look like for next season.