Detroit Pistons Roster 2021 Detroit Pistons Roster

2021 Detroit Pistons Roster Top Questions

Does the former MVP have anything left in the tank?

Derrick Rose was the NBA nearly a decade ago. He was primed to be one of the best point guards we’ve ever seen in the league but one thing led to another and now he’s likely to open the season operating as the Pistons’ backup point guard. Though only playing in 51 games, he was great with the Timberwolves last season, averaging 18 points per game. That was the most he’s had since his days with the Bulls. However, the high scoring average was helped by a career best 37% from three-point range.

There’s a lot of concern over whether Rose can legitimately repeat that shooting performance and whether he’s worth the 2 year, $15 million dollar contract. If he shot like he did last year, that’ll be a bargain price. However, if he drops back to single digit scoring or even worse, remains injury prone, this deal could prove to be a huge waste of money. Even if Rose fails to shoot at the same rate, he’s a solidified ball handler and should be able to distribute the ball while driving to the basket.

Can Blake Griffin get even better than his 2018-19 performance?

Blake Griffin’s career was headed downhill after his first few all-star seasons with the Clipper until something magically clicked. Last season, he scored a career high 24.5 points per game and became Detroit’s primary player. While he’s not going to put up the rebounding numbers he had earlier in his career, mainly due to being on the same court as Andre Drummond, Griffin is a willing passer who also collected 5.4 assists per game last season to lead the team.

You can’t expect the Pistons’ team to be anything special next year but you can count on Griffin being back to his usual self. His shooting percentages were phenomenal last season; he scored on 52.5% of his 2’s and 36.2% on his 3’s. If he keeps this up, there’s potential for Griffin to set a new career high in points per game and become one of the top power forwards in the game again. If he can continue developing into a forward who can drive to the basket and knock down three’s, he’s going to become unstoppable.

What to expect from Markieff Morris signing

Markieff Morris had an interesting journey last season, starting with the Washington Wizards to the New Orleans Pelicans, and finally landing with the Oklahoma City Thunder. This offseason, he inked a contract with the Detroit Pistons for 2 years and $7.4 million dollars. While he’s not going to start for Detroit next year, he’ll make a great piece off the bench and should see significant minutes on the floor whenever Griffin is out of the game. Last year, he averaged 9.4 points, 1.4 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game.

For the Pistons, Morris will bring a physical presence to on the inside with the ability to shoot the ball both inside and out. He shot 33.9% from three point range last year and converted 39.1% of his overall shots. He’ll see consistent playing time but doesn’t factor to be a huge piece of the offense. Morris will provide good insurance for Griffin on a cheap contract and figures to play a big role off the bench.