Season Review: Reggie Bullock Proves He Belongs
When the Pistons sent a 2020 second round draft pick to the Phoenix Suns last offseason for Marcus Morris, Reggie Bullock, and Danny Granger, Bullock was thought to be a cap filler in the trade. He would likely be someone Detroit would cut before the season even began. Danny Granger at the time was considered a better option to make Detroit's final roster compared to Bullock. That did not happen. Bullock was on the Pistons' roster come October 27th, when Detroit opened up the regular season against the Atlanta Hawks. That was only the beginning of the roller coaster season ahead for Reggie Bullock.
Besides the first three games of the season in October, Bullock averaged only 4.1 minutes per game in the first three full months of the NBA season. He collected 31 DNPs in that time. He rode the bench behind rookie small forward, Stanley Johnson, who played shooting guard and small forward, with Marcus Morris and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope absorbing the other minutes at the wing. Stan Van Gundy went with a nine man rotation throughout the season, leaving Bullock as the last man out for consistent minutes. As the season progressed, multiple players went down with injuries, forcing Van Gundy to play Bullock.
When Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Stanley Johnson suffered injuries in the middle of the season, Reggie Bullock rose to the occasion. He averaged 17.4 minutes in the last three months of the season. He averaged six points in those final three months, and was a good and hustling defender as well. He was deadly from the three-point line in that three month span, shooting 49% from the long line.
When the NBA Playoffs came around, Bullock was once again ready to step up. When Marcus Morris was in foul trouble, Bullock was the other wing Van Gundy used besides Johnson. He played in two playoff games, scoring 6 points in 11 minutes on average. Bullock went down with a leg injury which kept him out for the rest of the playoffs. He shot 2-3 from deep in the postseason.
Bullock finished with a final statline of 3.3 points and 1.8 rebounds on 11.6 minutes per game for the season. He shot 41% from three and 93% from the free throw line.
Bullock played the role of next man up for the Pistons, and solidified his spot in the NBA. Next year, Bullock will once again have competition for minutes, with Darrun Hilliard also being a potential role player. Bullock had a good end of season for Detroit, and he looks to carry that into next season.
Featured Image via: USA Today