As the season’s unofficial second half gets underway, the Detroit Pistons are going to struggle to thread the needle in addressing two priorities. They must allow their current core players to continue to play together and build chemistry, and they also must use these last two dozen games to dust off some little-used pieces and see what they have.
Last year it was as simple as can be — throw your rookies on the floor, rest your veterans to keep them healthy and fresh, lose enough games to ensure great odds at a top-5 pick. The Detroit Pistons got 4,500 minutes from their rookie class last season, it was quickly apparent just what veterans Jerami Grant, Mason Plumlee and Cory Joseph brought to the floor and the team finished with the second-worst record in the NBA.