The Pistons made a surprising trade last week, swapping Bojan Bogdanovic for Kelly Olynyk and Saben Lee. Bogdanovic has averaged 18.3 points on 40.3% 3-point shooting over the past four seasons.
First of all, I love the trade. Bogdanovic is more than a spot-up shooter. He's a tough defender and a good team player. He wants to win. He fits the Troy Weaver mold. Too often, the Pistons have added players that jack up 3s instead of all-around players. This team continues to add all-around players. Olynyk is a little one-dimensional. Instead of grabbing a "big name" or "outside specialist," the Pistons got another ball player.
Fans have focused on the outside shooting too much. So many are saying that by adding a "shooter," we have jumped into playoff contention. I think we were there before. This addition confirms that the front office agrees. They wouldn't have gotten Bogdanovic if they didn't think they were at least close to being a playoff team. His toughness will be his most valuable asset to this team.
Now, fans have already speculated about the starting lineup. I never try to guess Dwane Casey's rotations because they frequently don't make any sense. For example, Cory Joseph played significant minutes last season, defying logic. I won't go on a tirade, but the most exciting part of drafting Jaden Ivey might be that Joseph will not play.
Back to my point, I would start the following lineup:
Cade Cunningham
Jaden Ivey
Saddiq Bey
Bojan Bogdanovic
Marvin Bagley III
I know most predict that Isaiah Stewart will start over Bagley, but he provides the lob threat for Cunningham. Stewart's improved shooting means he would fit better playing with either Bagley, Nerlens Noel, or Jalen Duren. I think "Beef Stew" is a four. I like him a lot. I think it would be great if he started with Bagley. Bogdanovic would have to accept a role off the bench, but he would become the primary scorer in that unit.
The knock on Bagley is "allegedly" his defense. That criticism started on Twitter and spread like wildfire. I didn't see it. I think it's a veiled criticism for his poor outside shooting. Our fans are wrongly obsessed with outside shooting. The Golden State Warriors "shooters" are versatile players. Many of their key players this year are not great shooters. So, I think fans should calm down on that front.
The rotation is difficult to predict because I think there will be some serious competition in camp. I guarantee that Cunningham, Ivey, Bey, Bogdanovic, Bagley, and Stewart are in the rotation. Then, I'm pretty sure Killian Hayes will also be in the rotation. After that, I think there is a competition between Duren and Nerlens Noel for the other backup big.
Finally, Isaiah Livers, Hamidou Diallo, and Alec Burks will fight for minutes as the off-the-bench wings. Burks and his shooting may give him the early leg up, but Diallo's effect on the game should put him in there, too. Livers could have a breakout year. He'll be hard not to play. Cory Joseph, Kevin Knox, and Rodney McGruder will likely not play much this season. If Joseph plays ahead of Hayes, my head will explode. If that happens, let's start a petition for Weaver to trade him. I don't hate Cory Joseph. It's just that he has no business playing on this team.
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