Breaking Down Detroit Pistons' Shooting Guard Position for 2014-15 Season
The Detroit Pistons will be significantly improved at shooting guard in 2014-15.
Heading into the offseason, the 2 was the weakest position on the roster, lacking in both talent and depth, but a pair of offseason moves and expected development from returning players should make it an area of strength this season.
With at least three players vying for time as the off-guard, competition for minutes will be ongoing throughout the season, and the starter on opening night may not be in the same role at season's end.
2013-14 2-Guard Performance
The Pistons simply could not get any offensive production at shooting guard last season.
Veteran Chauncey Billlups started there, out of position, for seven games before suffering his first injury of the season. That opened the door for the 6'5", 205-pound rookie Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to step into the starting lineup. He was there from mid-November until the end of January, when he was benched in favor of second-year player Kyle Singler.
None of them even managed league-average production, though the bigger Singler—6'8" and 228 pounds—played the best basketball of his professional career in February and March.
For the season, Billups, Caldwell-Pope and Singler managed PERs of 5.3, 9.4 and 11.8, respectively, according to Basketball-Reference.com—15 is average. Caldwell-Pope provided solid perimeter defense, and Singler was one of the top shooters on the roster. But overall, shooting guard was the weakest spot in the starting lineup.
The best 2-guard on the roster last season may have been Rodney Stuckey, who played like a Sixth Man of the Year candidate in November, averaging 16.9 points on 49.5 percent shooting. But his performance dropped off the rest of the season, and he averaged 13.9 points for the year with a PER of 14.04.
The Pistons struggled across the roster in 2013-14, but never more than at the off-guard, where they got some of the worst production in the league. For that reason, upgrading the position was among the top priorities on team president and head coach Stan Van Gundy's offseason checklist.
Offseason Changes
Summer 2014 brought about significant turnover at shooting guard for the Pistons.
Billups announced his retirement, and Stuckey left via free agency for the Indiana Pacers. In their places Van Gundy added knock-down shooters.
On the first day of free agency, he came to an agreement on a three-year contract with Jodie Meeks, who was coming off the best season of his career with the Los Angeles Lakers. The 6'4", 210-pound Meeks finished with career highs in points (15.7), field-goal percentage (46.3) and three-point percentage (40.1). Van Gundy made him the team's No. 1 priority, and Meeks was off the market almost immediately.
A few other non-shooting guard signings will also add some options for Van Gundy at 2-guard.
Point guard D.J. Augustin was brought in to back up Brandon Jennings. But with the Chicago Bulls last season, he played 466 minutes alongside starting shooting guard Kirk Hinrich, according to NBA.com. Van Gundy may very well decide to do the same thing with Augustin and Jennings at the guard positions, especially since Augustin made 40.1 percent of his threes in 2013-14.
Van Gundy also brought in two small forwards, Caron Butler and Cartier Martin, who have the ability to play shooting guard in bigger lineups. Butler is 6'7 and 228 pounds with diminishing athleticism, while Martin measures 6'7" and 220 pounds.
According to 82games.com, 18.2 percent of Martin's minutes with the Atlanta Hawks last season were at 2-guard. Nineteen percent of Butler's minutes in 2013-14 with the Oklahoma City Thunder also came at shooting guard. Butler and Martin made 39.4 and 39.1 percent of their threes last season, respectively.
Throw in Caldwell-Pope and Singler—though the latter will spend most of his time at small forward—and Van Gundy will have many solid options at shooting guard. There just may not be enough minutes to go around.
2014-15 Outlook
When it comes to making a decision on the opening-day starter, Van Gundy will only be choosing between two players: Caldwell-Pope and Meeks.
Caldwell-Pope may have had a rocky rookie season, but he should be the Pistons' best wing defender this year and showed promise offensively toward the end of the year. His athleticism and upside will make him a serious contender for the position if he can find ways to score the ball.
Meeks, on the other hand, can immediately take pressure off Jennings to create offense on the perimeter, and his ability to shoot will space the floor for Andre Drummond, Greg Monroe and Josh Smith on the interior. As the No. 29 team in three-point shooting in 2013-14, the Pistons desperately need Meeks' skill set.
General manager Jeff Bower told NBA.com in July that the team was very excited for the potential of both players.
"We were really encouraged with the play of KCP in Summer League and the work he put in to create those results," Bower said. "Jodie brings a level of experience and shot-making to the group and a work ethic that is something other players will look at, as well as his experience."
Either player could win the job, but expect Meeks to be the favorite. With a $6 million salary according to ShamSports.com, he'll be the third-highest-paid player on the roster. And Van Gundy highly valued shooting at his last coaching stint with the Orlando Magic—an area in which Meeks clearly has the advantage.
But as long as Caldwell-Pope has improved since his rookie season, he should see at least 20 minutes of playing time per night. And his size and skill set would allow him to fit rather nicely next to Meeks at times, something he's interested in.
“I would like to play multiple positions,” Caldwell-Pope told NBA.com. “I did it in college and I wouldn’t mind doing it here. I just have to get stronger and keep getting better.”
Augustin will see small amounts of playing time when they play teams that like to play two point guards at once, such as the Phoenix Suns. And Singler or Butler can step in to play bigger guards like the Brooklyn Nets' Joe Johnson whenever necessary.
And in one summer, Van Gundy has taken the Pistons' biggest weakness and turned it into a position with a fair amount of talent and plenty of flexibility.
Now it's time to wait and see how the new pieces fit with the rest of the team.
Jakub Rudnik covers the Detroit Pistons as a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
Follow him on Twitter.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
