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With G League option up in the air, Pistons double down on developing a roster with 8 players 23 or younger
One of the more compelling reasons to invest in the 2020-21 Pistons, Dwane Casey said on the eve of Wednesday’s season opener, is to gauge the growth of the many young players new general manager Troy Weaver added to the roster.
And, to be sure, much of what the Pistons aim to become in succeeding seasons is tied to the development of not just the five rookies but the eight players 23 or younger on the 15-man roster.
But the truth is that about as much of a young player’s growth is visible for public viewing as that part of an iceberg that rises above sea level. Most of the work of player development comes outside of the 48 minutes that’s squeezed into game night. It comes in the hour or two before and after practice, in second sessions at night, in video huddles with coaches – and in G League assignments for real, live game action with the NBA parent’s affiliate team.
But that last vital component is threatened this season by the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a movement to salvage something of the G League season by having teams congregate for a bubble – Atlanta has been cited as the likely destination – but that option isn’t appealing to all teams and participation is uncertain. There are reports the Pistons and their G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Drive, are unlikely to sign on.
That doesn’t mean that player development won’t be front and center as a Pistons priority for this season, Casey said.
“We have a definite program for those guys. We have the long sessions at night for them, our night shooting. They have extended practice time for guys not getting big minutes. Get a lot of work in there with three-on-three, individual work, film sessions. We have that planned for them.”
Killian Hayes, 19, is the only rookie who appears certain to have a regular rotation spot, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be in line for extra sessions or excluded from three-on-three or four-of-four scrimmages for players on the fringe or outside of the rotation.
The four other rookies – Isaiah Stewart (19), Saddiq Bey (21), two-way player Saben Lee (21) and 2019 second-rounder Deividas Sirvydis (20) – surely will expend at least as much energy outside of practice as within it.
Sekou Doumbouya, whose 20th birthday coincided with Wednesday’s season opener, and 23-year-olds Josh Jackson and Svi Mykhailiuk are all currently part of Casey’s second unit but also still in various stages of development.
The Pistons are a year away from having their G League affiliate under their umbrella and playing in Detroit in a new arena being built near their Pistons Performance Center. When that happens, utilization of the G League team – the Motor City Cruise – will swing into high gear.
“Next year, when the team is in Detroit, even with our second-year guys, it’s going to be a great thing to be able to have that over at Wayne State, right around the corner,” Casey said. “Those guys can practice with us, go play a game that night. It’s about paper work.”
Even with the Drive only 2½ hours away, the ease of shuttling players back and forth for NBA team practice and G League games that night isn’t there as it will be for the Pistons and Cruise. Casey had that arrangement in Toronto and Weaver in Oklahoma City, where the OKC Blue played in an arena across the street from the Thunder. The Cruise will be able to practice at the Pistons Performance Center – built with a G League component in mind – and have access to the same level of physical therapy and treatment as the NBA Pistons.
For this year, the Pistons adjust on the fly.
“This year is kind of a wash. I think we just improvise and make do by extra work,” Casey said. “Extra sessions, scrimmages at night just to make sure guys get extended running if they’re not getting extended minutes in a game. We’re in uncharted waters right now. We really can’t have our program the way we want it this year.”