2021 Detroit Pistons Depth Chart

Position	1	#	2	#	3	#
Point Guard	Dennis Smith Jr.	0	Cory Joseph	18	Killian Hayes*	7
Shooting Guard	Wayne Ellington	8	Josh Jackson	20
Small Forward	Saddiq Bey	41	Hamidou Diallo	6
Power Forward	Jerami Grant	9	Sekou Deoumbouya	45
Center	Mason Plumlee	24	Isaiah Stewart	28	Jahlil Okafor	13

The Detroit Pistons have made the playoffs just once since the 2008-09 season and that didn’t change for them last season when they went 39-43 and missed the playoffs for the second-straight season. Their lack of success over the past few seasons under Stan Van Gundy led the Pistons ownership to make a change at the head coaching position which led to Dwane Casey coming to town after getting fired by the Raptors earlier in the offseason. Casey brings his known success and developmental style to a young Pistons team that features Andre Drummond, Blake Griffin, Reggie Jackson and a handful of talented young wing players. The Pistons had one of the best defensive ratings in the league last season, allowing just 107.3 points per 100 possessions, but they struggled on offense with an offensive rating of just 107.2. A full year of a healthy Reggie Jackson should help, as he played in just 45 games last year, but a full offseason of Blake Griffin will certainly help their team improve, as well. Outside of hiring Casey, the Pistons were quiet in the offseason with their only acquisitions being Glenn Robinson, Jose Calderon, and Zaza Pachulia.

After appearing in just 45 games last season, Reggie Jackson returns healthy for the Pistons to lead an experienced group of point guards that have plenty of starter experience. Jackson has yet to reach his full potential as a starter but the offense has crumbled without him on the floor and he averaged a respectable 18 points per game as the team’s starting point guard last season. Ish Smith has been invaluable to the Pistons in his career with them and will battle Jose Calderon for the primary backup duties but he should have no issues beating him out in training camp. Where Casey goes at the shooting guard position will be a mystery but we will hopefully be able to get some insight into that as training camp starts. Luke Kennard only played about 20 minutes per game last season but he was one of the team’s best perimeter shooters, connecting on 41 percent of attempts from beyond-the-arc, and provides them with an offensive threat but we could see Reggie Bullock get the nod at that position over Kennard. Langston Galloway will come off the bench behind whoever starts and is a veteran presence at the position with Bruce Brown and Reggie Hearn competing for the remaining minutes when they aren’t in the G-League. Glenn Robinson is another name to keep an eye on at the position but he could end up getting the majority of his minutes at the small forward position.

If Reggie Bullock doesn’t end up coming off the bench behind Luke Kennard then he is someone to keep an eye on at the small forward position. He was the starting shooting guard for Detroit last season after the Avery Bradley trade but has the size and versatility to be a wing in this league, making him an intriguing option to start at small forward. Bullock averaged 11.3 points per game last season and connected on 44.5 percent of three-point attempts, something that Dwane Casey will look to utilize this season. Stanley Johnson is the other name to keep an eye on at small forward as he is a formidable defender that gives them versatility on the wing. Between Bullock, Johnson, and Robinson, the Pistons have plenty of options at the small forward position.

The starting power forward position is obviously locked up by All-Star Blake Griffin and he will look to build off the 25 games he played with the Pistons last season where he averaged 19.8 points and 6.6 rebounds. Griffin is an athletic freak that can be utilized in many different ways this season. If health becomes an issue for Griffin, the Pistons could be in trouble as they don’t have a lot of depth behind him. Jon Leuer returns this season but his health is a question mark, while Henry Ellenson has yet to play significant minutes in the NBA. All-star Andre Drummond returns as the team’s dominant big man in the post and will look to improve on a season where he averaged 15 points and 16 rebounds per game for the Pistons. He improved his passing and free-throw shooting last year, as well, giving the Pistons an excellent anchor in the paint. Zaza Pachulia gives the Pistons a veteran presence behind Drummond, something they lacked last season with Boban Marjanovich backing up Drummond.