Ron Holland may have grabbed the first look, but the Detroit Pistons are in no rush to hand him the backup power forward job and call it settled.
That spot has been one of the team’s lingering questions over the last several seasons, and last year it was filled by committee. With no true four behind Tobias Harris, Detroit pieced it together with Holland, Ausar Thompson and Javonte Green - a group that could defend multiple spots and hold up physically.
This season, the picture looks different. Taurean Prince has entered the mix, bringing a more traditional power forward profile and a track record as a shooter who has connected on more than 40 percent of his three-pointers. That gives the Pistons another lane to explore, one that didn’t exist in quite the same way before.
In the first preseason game, Holland was the one who got the nod. He played the most minutes on the team and led Detroit in points, piling up chaos, activity and production even while the shot wasn’t falling. Prince and Green, meanwhile, were held to 11 and 13 minutes, respectively.
That might make it look like Holland has the inside track, and maybe he does. But the bigger reality is that Detroit plans to use all of them.
Holland and Prince bring very different tools to the table. Prince offers shooting, experience and a real threat from the corner. Holland doesn’t yet stretch the floor the same way, but he brings nonstop energy, hustle, better rebounding and a transition game that can change the pace in a hurry.
One player can space the floor and wait for the ball to swing his way. The other is the kind of all-over-the-place force who can affect every possession, for better or worse. Both matter, just in different ways.
That gives JB Bickerstaff something useful to work with. Prince makes sense when the Pistons need a bucket and want to open the court up.
Holland fits when they want defense, juice and a second-unit spark. It’s not just about who plays better overall - it’s about who fits the moment.
Detroit’s depth can be a weapon, especially over the course of the regular season when the bench can help push the tempo and wear teams down. But it also creates a tactical edge when players offer different strengths. Bickerstaff will have to sort out how to squeeze the most out of that.
For now, Holland has the early edge. But it’s not a gift, and it won’t be handed to him. If he doesn’t hold onto it, Bickerstaff has veterans ready to step in.
That makes this a big season for Holland. He needs to show offensive growth, or he could wind up as part of a deadline trade. So while the preseason and the opening stretch won’t decide everything, they matter for him.
And they matter more now, because Bickerstaff has better veteran choices to lean on than he did a year ago.
In Other News...
Ebuka Okorie Just Gave The Pistons A Tough Rotation Decision
Rookie Ebuka Okorie made a strong first impression in the Pistons opening preseason game, checking into the last 10 minutes and showing enough scoring touch and control of the offense to turn a routine look into something more interesting. For a team trying to sort through a crowded guard rotation, that kind of burst can matter, especially when it comes from a young player who has already earned praise from coach J.B. Bickerstaff for his poise and work ethic.
Okories performance only sharpens the competition for backcourt minutes as the preseason unfolds. Detroit has options, and that makes every strong stretch feel both helpful and complicated, because the Pistons also want to see what the rookie can do in different looks as they keep evaluating lineups and roles. [Read more 🡒]
Jalen Durens Preseason Timeline Is Suddenly A Pistons Concern
Jalen Durens preseason has already become something worth monitoring for the Pistons after he sat out Detroits first exhibition game. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff is taking a cautious approach with the young center, treating this stretch less like a runway for big minutes and more like a chance to make sure he is ready without being pushed too fast.
The bigger picture is familiar for Detroit: Duren turned in a breakout regular season, but the playoffs exposed areas that still need work, especially on defense. Bickerstaff and Duren both have acknowledged that development remains part of the process, and the preseason is supposed to be one of the first places that work shows up. For now, the question is less whether Duren will be part of it and more how carefully the Pistons choose to manage the path there. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Bench Is Creating The Kind Of Identity Teams Will Hate
The early signs of Detroits new identity are hard to miss, and they showed up again in a preseason test against Phoenix. JB Bickerstaffs roster looks deep enough to keep pressure on teams in waves, with at least 12 NBA-level players available, and the bench has been a big part of making that possible. The energy starts on the defensive end, where the Pistons have already made it clear they want every possession to feel uncomfortable.
John Collins and others have pointed to how contagious that defensive edge can be when the group is locked in together. It is still preseason, of course, but the Pistons have already given a glimpse of the kind of team opponents tend to dislike: active, physical, and willing to turn effort into momentum without needing the usual starters to carry the load every night. [Read more 🡒]