The Detroit Pistons are continuing their rebuild following a 44-38 finish during the 2024-25 season, securing the six-seed in the Eastern Conference and heading back to their first NBA Playoffs since the 18-19 season. Even more impressively, head coach JB Bickerstaff managed the winning record following one of the worst seasons in league history at 14-68 just a year ago. Given the emergence of their young prospects, the Pistons are shaping up to be a formidable team in the Eastern Conference for years to come.
Had it not been for the late-game heroics of Jalen Brunson during an inspired Knicks playoff run, the Detroit Pistons could have easily advanced and made some noise in the East. Franchise star Cade Cunningham just posted career highs in points (26.1 PPG), assists (9.1 APG), and blocks (0.8). While his scoring his reaching new heights, he still manages to keep his teammates involved by spreading the ball around. Look for the Pistons to continue building around their young anchor this season.
Nevertheless, no roster spot is truly safe and a myriad of situations can play out before the season starts. We'll take a close look at some of the roster spots that may be more volatile before the upcoming season begins.
Pistons' starting rotation
The projected Detroit Pistons depth chart is as follows:
PG: Cade Cunningham – Marcus Sasser
SG: Jaden Ivey – Duncan Robinson
SF: Caris LeVert – Ausar Thompson
PF: Tobias Harris – Javonte Green / Ron Holland
C: Jalen Duren – Isaiah Stewart
Key Notes: Point guard Cade Cunningham will be firm in his position as the leader of this team. He leads the team in points and assists while constantly improving on the defensive end, so expect Cunningham to take another step in the right direction. The same can be said of Jaden Ivey who, in 2024-25, posted the highest scoring (17.6 PPG) and rebounding (4.1 RPG) totals of his career. Duncan Robinson will certainly play a pivotal role in this offense nonetheless as one of the league's most accurate deep shooters. We've seen the type of success a player like Luke Kennard was able to have with the Pistons, so expect the same and more from Robinson.
Jalen Duren's starting role as the team's big man won't be at-risk before the season as he returns from posting a whopping 78 games played last season. He's been the most consistent part of their offense outside of Cunningham while serving as the team's defensive anchor. Isaiah Stewart is crucial to this team for his own reasons, but it won't outweigh the eighth-best rebounder (10.8 RPG) in the league.
Lastly, it doesn't seem as though Javonte Green or Ron Holland will threaten Tobias Harris for his starting job. While Harris' production has taken a noticeable dip from the prior season, he's been known to bounce back with his scoring totals if he's able to see more chance with the ball in his hands. Whether or not he's a main option is yet to be determined, but he's certainly more capable at creating his own shot than the latter options.
Caris LeVert or Ausar Thompson?
The biggest question mark here will be the addition of Caris LeVert to the roster and his possible overtaking of Ausar Thompson at the small forward position. The upsides for Thompson are undeniable. He's extremely athletic on both ends of the floor, already serving as his team's primary on-ball defender. However, LeVert is coming off a season in Atlanta where he averaged 14.9 PPG, a stiff increase from Thompson's 10.1 PPG. Furthermore, LeVert is the more efficient passer and has improved as a defender in his own right.
However, Ausar Thompson will have the advantage of playing within this system for quite some time now, building chemistry and trust with the rest of the team. If LeVert were to begin the season as the starting option, you'd have to believe head coach JB Bickerstaff will hold him on a tight leash given the past production of Thompson in the starting spot. In the end, it will all come down to whether LeVert will be as reliable defensively as Thompson, or if the Pistons would prefer to have his scoring talent come off the bench.
Ultimately, I think the flow of this offense will take some getting used to for LeVert and the transition may not be so seamless. He'll have to learn how to play alongside Cade Cunningham, who's oftentimes the one creating for others. Ausar Thompson will always make up for things with his defense, so it'll be exciting to see this small forward positional battle transpire throughout the upcoming season.
