Detroit Pistons
Team Outlook:
Detroit is a young team on the rise that is looking to build off its playoff appearance from a season ago. Their 44-38 record was good enough to secure the 8th seed but resulted in a thorough beating at the hands of eventual Champion in Cleveland. This team boast several budding stars under the age of 26 and are poised to challenge the Cavs in the East. The team itself is a few years away from overall contention, but they should expect to see progress and in turn a better seed in the playoffs this year. Led by Andre Drummond, look for the Pistons to try and regain relevance in the East.
Projected Starting Lineup:
Reggie Jackson: Point Guard
In his first full season after coming to the Pistons from Oklahoma City during the 2014-2015 season, Jackson put up the best numbers of his young career. Jackson averaged 18.8 points per game and took charge of the team while on the court. His shooting percentage needs to trend in the right direction this season in order for him to take that next step forward, but he would be a safe play with a good young cast around him. Jackson led the Pistons in scoring last year and looks to do the same in the 2016-2017 season.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: Shooting Guard
Caldwell-Pope is dangerous from inside the arc scoring on 49% of his attempts. He really leaves something to be desired from beyond three and could stand to try and draw more contact and make it to the free throw line. Caldwell-Pope is not going to be in that elite tier of guys for your DFS lineup but is an important piece in this Piston’s offense this season. Look for his numbers to be dependent on how the team plays throughout the season.
Marcus Morris: Power Forward
After coming over from Phoenix no one knew what type of player the Pistons would be getting. Morris has only since entrenched himself into their starting lineup, averaged a respectable 1401 points per game, and show the ability to shoot the ball from beyond the arc. You are not going to see monster numbers put up night after night from Morris, but more so a player who will grind it out and do what is needed to help his team win.
Tobias Harris: Small Forward
Coming over from Orlando last season, Harris provides a solid shot from both inside and out. With another year under his belt in this system, look for Harris’ numbers to rise. His 16.6 points per game and 6.2 rebounds per game are both solid marks in an offense poised to make big strides this year.
Andre Drummond: Center
Drummond is by far the most fantasy relevant player on this team. He is a risky play however with all of the points he leaves on the floor with his poor free throw shooting. However, the positives outweigh that negative with his overall rebounding ability. If he can work on his free throws he could average 20 and 15 a game throughout the season.
Key Bench Players:
Ish Smith: Smith split time between New Orleans and Philadelphia last season. He is a very smart basketball player with quick hands. He will serve as the backup point guard on this team and is a solid addition to help fill a need on this team. Smith shot 41% from the field and his 12.6 points per game will be a nice boost off the bench.
Jon Leuer: Leuer is another big body that will help space out Drummond and Baynes. He played in 67 games for the Suns last year and none of his numbers really jump off the stat sheet. Leuer is definitely more of a team guy than a fantasy option.
Aron Baynes: Baynes was the big man behind Drummond last year and ranked second on the team in rebounds. He has embraced his role as backup and made a big difference playing in the paint. Baynes does risk losing playing time after the signing of Boban Marjanovic and it will be interesting to see what the split is going forward. If his minutes’ trend downward, he will not be a good option in your lineup.
Boban Marjanovic: Marjanovic was brought in from San Antonio and his 7 foot 3-inch frame will provide another big body in the Piston's lineup. Marjanovic is largely unknown and untested in the NBA. It is unclear his exact role with this team, but it will be interesting to see how many minutes he plays and what he is able to do with them.
Stanley Johnson: Johnson had big expectations coming out of Arizona, but did not provide the immediate impact that everyone thought he would. Johnson’s pro build and skill should mesh with this team, but the Pistons will need to see more consistency from the big man if he wants to see his minutes’ rise. If he is able to put it all together this year, he could be a nice late sleeper worth watching.
Henry Ellenson: Detroit does have Morris and Harris as starters who seemingly fit well with Drummond, and it’s not that difficult to look at their first round selection out of Marquette and think the same. Ellenson played both inside and out for the Golden Eagles last season, and while the three-point percentage (28.8 percent) is an area some harped on in the pre-draft process it isn’t as if his shooting form is “broken.” Detroit can bring Ellenson along slowly given the veteran options on the roster, which should help in his development.
Key Losses: Jodie Meeks, Anthony Tolliver, Steve Blake, Joel Anthony
Key Additions: Ish Smith, Jon Leur, Boban Marjanovic, Henry Ellenson