The Detroit Pistons were in the headlines more often than normal this offseason, and that taught us a lot about Stan Van Gundy's team going forward. Here are three things we learned about the Pistons in free agency:
Detroit plans to play small ball
The departure of Greg Monroe, coupled with the re-signing of Reggie Jackson, signals a new era of Pistons basketball, switching from overloading on big men to overloading on guards. A roster that once contained big men Josh Smith, Greg Monroe, and Andre Drummond now features guards Brandon Jennings, Reggie Jackson, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the starting lineup. This is the style that Van Gundy loves to play, so look for them to follow the mold of the Golden State Warriors.
Increased focus on shooting
Another staple of Stan Van Gundy teams is loading the roster with as many shooters as possible, and they did that this summer by bringing in Ersan Ilyasova from Milwaukee. He'll serve as Detroit's stretch four next to Andre Drummond, and will spend most of his time on the perimeter. Re-signing Jackson and trading forward Quincy Miller for point guard Steve Blake also demonstrate this shift towards a perimeter-oriented team.
What role will Stanley Johnson play?
Detroit's first-round pick is a defensive stopper, but doesn't quite fit the bill as a three-point shooter. However, the Pistons will desperately need his defense on the perimeter without many proven options there, but whether Van Gundy will start him or bring him off the bench may be key in determining how much success Detroit will have in 2015-16.
Follow our Detroit Pistons team page for all the latest Pistons news and rumors!
Back to the Detroit Pistons Newsfeed