Two Detroit Pistons Facing Uncertain Roles in NBA Playoff Rotation

The Detroit Pistons are expected to have their core rotation set ahead of their NBA playoff adventure – but two players will undoubtedly have question marks based upon their performance in the early rounds.

Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, and Jalen Duren will more than likely be the starting five for the Pistons ahead of their first-round tie against the eighth seed, which will be determined from the play-in tournament.

Who are the odd men out?

While Isaiah Stewart and Daniss Jenkins will be Detroit’s first options off the bench, with Caris LeVert, Ron Holland and Javonte Green providing solid minutes, there is a player who will need to get going early, otherwise his minutes could drop unless the Pistons go through injury concerns.

That man is Kevin Huerter.

After a difficult stretch for most of the season, Huerter has finally started to find his rhythm. With the Pistons in need of perimeter shooting, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff may give the veteran guard an opportunity to prove he can consistently knock down shots.

 If he struggles, however, he could face limited minutes after the first round, should the Pistons progress.

Ron Holland could face limited minutes as well

If Huerter finds his groove and perhaps attracts a more increased role, then that could cut into the minutes of Holland and Green, with the latter being the only Piston to appear in every game this season, so it’s unlikely Bickerstaff moves away from him entirely, though a slight dip in playing time is possible.

As for Holland, who averaged around 20 minutes per game, he faces more uncertainty heading into the playoffs due to his limitations in Detroit’s half-court offense. If the team runs into trouble, he could also find himself losing valuable minutes

Holland has averaged 8.2 points in 19.9 minutes this season, shooting a respectable 43% from the floor, but for more minutes and to give Bickerstaff a minutes nightmare, his points production will need to improve.

As for the remaining players, Marcus Sasser and Paul Reed are expected to be out of the playoff rotation, along with Chaz Lanier and Tolu Smith. The only exception could be that Reed provides valuable frontcourt depth and would likely be called upon quickly in the event of injuries or foul trouble. Smith might see some minutes, but will mainly be garbage time.

Meanwhile, two-way players Wendell Moore and Isaac Jones are ineligible to participate in the postseason.