Are the Pistons Playing the Wrong Guys?

Detroit might actually have a bright future ... if it can develop its young talent. Here is how I would project the Pistons' promising backcourt

Detroit has decisions to make about how to get the best out of two top-five draft picks with overlapping skills: Jaden Ivey and Cade Cunningham. (Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

Upon becoming head coach of the Detroit Pistons in June, Monty Williams inherited a group of young players he had to get to know. It’s not as though Williams scouted these guys when he was in Phoenix last year — not beyond the two games they faced each other, that’s for sure. 

So he didn’t know what he had, and Williams has gotten flak for how he has managed the young guys — in particular, top-five pick Jaden Ivey, now in his second season. In 16 of Ivey’s first 22 games, Williams brought Ivey off the bench, reportedly sparking “tension” among the Detroit decision-makers.

This column by Dean Oliver — author of Basketball on Paper and the upcoming Basketball Beyond Paper — is part of our series on making NBA analytics easy.

Williams would talk about his guards and not even mention Ivey, which also didn’t go over well. Though Ivey hasn’t said anything publicly, this is not the typical way to treat a top-five pick!