The Pistons’ second preseason game brings a few small but real questions with it, even if the result itself won’t count for much. Detroit heads to Washington tonight, where both teams are coming off wins and still sorting out how new pieces fit into the rotation.
One of the biggest names to watch is Jalen Duren. JB Bickerstaff said Duren will play in the preseason and could make his debut against the Wizards.
The official lineups still haven’t been released, but it would not be a surprise if Duren is back in the starting five. Detroit could use the size, too.
Washington opened its first preseason win over the Knicks with both DeAndre Ayton and Anthony Davis in the starting lineup, and the Pistons would be significantly undersized if Duren sits again.
There’s also a practical benefit to getting Duren out there now. A road game lets him shake off the rust away from the scrutiny of the home crowd, and Detroit would probably prefer he gets a couple of games under his belt before the team returns to Detroit. If he does suit up, the Pistons should be looking to use him more as an offensive hub, especially on the short roll, where he has already shown he can be effective.
Ron Holland II is another player with something to prove. Early in the season, maybe more than anyone else on the roster, his name figures to surface in trade chatter as the deadline gets closer.
That’s not really fair to him, but the reality is he needs to start showing cleaner, more efficient offense. He can already make things chaotic and swing a game, but Detroit needs that energy to come with more made shots and fewer turnovers than he had in game one.
The first preseason game was sloppy, so none of that should be overblown yet. Still, Holland has a real opportunity in front of him, and the next step is on him.
There’s also a smaller competition worth watching at backup point guard, though it may be getting a little too much attention after rookie Ebuka Okorie put together a solid 10 minutes late in the preseason opener. Jenkins remains the player Detroit trusts in that role, and the spot is his to lose. He’s not likely to just hand it over, either, so this should be a useful preseason battle.
Okorie could still work his way into the rotation if he proves too good to ignore, but the more likely outcome is that Jenkins keeps the job and the rookie stays on the outside looking in.
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Ron Holland stood out as the leading scorer in that game, while rookie Ebuka Okorie announced himself in his first NBA action with an immediate impact. Isaiah Joes shooting line against the Suns was far from clean, but the larger point is that these are the kinds of early-season swings young teams live with, and the next test against the Wizards offers another chance to see which names keep rising. [Read more 🡒]
Cade Cunningham Faces A Pistons Problem That Could Limit Everything
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That leaves Cunningham in a tough spot, because the more the attack runs through him, the more every mistake and every exhausting stretch matters. His turnovers and late-game fatigue could become bigger issues if he keeps shouldering nearly every offensive possession, which is the kind of load that has made other star guards vulnerable when the supporting cast never quite arrives. [Read more 🡒]