Detroit Pistons Power Rankings: Rating Every Player Near Season's Halfway Point
After nearly two months of uninspired basketball, the Detroit Pistons are suddenly one of the hottest teams in the NBA.
They stumbled to a 5-23 start, which included a 13-game losing streak, before head coach and team president Stan Van Gundy decided it was time to shake things up. So he waived Josh Smith and the $27 million he was owed beyond this season.
Smith's former teammates have not lost since.
The Pistons made it seven straight wins after their 108-95 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. The streak has lifted them from the bottom of the Eastern Conference to just three games behind the Miami Heat for the No. 8 seed.
They are still losers of 23 of 35 games to start the season, but for the first time there are positive things to say about the Pistons.
These power rankings reflect how each player is performing against his teammates, not how he is playing against expectations. The entire season is taken into account, though recent performance is weighted the heaviest. These are the guys who have done the most to bring the Pistons back toward respectability.
The End of the Bench
1 of 11
14. Luigi Datome
Joe Dumars signed Luigi Datome in the 2013 offseason as one of the best shooters in Europe. He was supposed to be a useful role player who could provide some offensive spark off the bench.
Gigi can't do that if he's not getting on the court. And with just one appearance this season, he has been quite the disappointment.
13. Cartier Martin
Like Datome, Cartier Martin came to Detroit as a bench guy who could help knock down outside jumpers. He hasn't done that so far.
Martin has shot 9-of-29 (31.0 percent) from the field and 4-of-19 (21.1 percent) from long range this season. An offensive role player with a 1.8 player efficiency rating, per Basketball-Reference.com, just won't cut it.
12. Spencer Dinwiddie
Detroit's third point guard is well behind the two veterans on the roster, and barring an injury he won't see the court much this season.
Spencer Dinwiddie hasn't shot well, but he takes care of the ball. A 5.7 assist-to-turnover ratio is notable, even if he has played fewer than 100 minutes.
11. Joel Anthony
As another one-dimensional player at the end of the bench, Joel Anthony has proved he can at least play a handful of meaningful minutes at a time.
Anthony has been a passable defender down low and rebounds well. He also knows his role, taking just 3.9 shots per 36 minutes, according to Basketball-Reference.com.
10. Anthony Tolliver
2 of 11
Is Anthony Tolliver the real reason for Detroit's recent success? The Pistons are 7-0 since acquiring the power forward from the Phoenix Suns.
OK, so the two events may not have a strong correlation. But Tolliver has proved to be a useful big off the bench for the Pistons.
He can rebound and step out beyond the arc—a huge plus on Van Gundy-led teams. He has shot just 31.3 percent from three with the Pistons, but that number is good enough to keep opposing defenses honest. That frees up space for Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe to operate on the block and for Brandon Jennings to attack the paint.
Defenses had essentially given up defending Smith out to the three-point line, and they can't do that with Tolliver. If he can knock down even more triples, then his playing time would increase.
9. Caron Butler
3 of 11
Small forward has been Detroit's weakest position all season, but the slight edge goes to its younger 3 in these rankings.
Caron Butler has looked a step slow offensively in his first season with the Pistons. He has scored just 6.3 points in 22.8 minutes per game, and his field-goal (40.3) and three-point (34.0) percentages are both down from what he shot in 2013-14 with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Overall he just isn't producing very much, indicated by his 7.91 PER, per ESPN.com. It is the first time in his career his PER is less than 10.
He has made been most useful on the defensive end, which is a bit of a surprise for a 34-year-old wing. According to 82games.com, Butler has held opposing small forwards to a PER of 13.4—below the league average of 15. The eye test doesn't suggest that he is still an above-average defender, but he does use his body well and isn't out of position often.
8. Kyle Singler
4 of 11
Detroit's starting small forward has only been marginally better than Butler this season.
Kyle Singler has continued to prove that he is little more than a big shooter and possibly the least-qualified starting small forward in the NBA.
He is a poor rebounder for a guy who stands 6'8", averaging 3.8 per 36 minutes, according to Basketball-Reference. And if the season ended today, he would have averaged less than one assist in each of his first three NBA seasons.
But Singler can shoot—he can really shoot.
He is currently hitting 40.2 percent of his threes, putting him among the top 25 in the NBA. His percentage has gone up in each of his seasons, and it is the reason he continues to play 20-plus minutes per game.
He is outmatched as a starter, but Singler has enough range to help the Pistons and fit what Van Gundy wants to do offensively.
7. Jonas Jerebko
5 of 11
Along with Tolliver, Jonas Jerebko has given the Pistons some outside shooting in minutes that used to go to Smith.
Jerebko is averaging 21.9 minutes per game since Smith was waived, up from just 13.7 with him on the roster.
The fifth-year power forward has made the most of the opportunity, shooting 6-of-12 from three and 16-of-34 overall (47.1 percent). Again, a power forward who can consistently knock down open shots from beyond the arc can really free up space for other players offensively.
After seeing his minutes decrease in each of the past three seasons, Jerebko has seen a bit of a rejuvenation under Van Gundy. He is still a minus defender—he gives up a PER of 18.8 to opposing power forwards, according to 82games. But his ability to be a stretch 4 should keep his minutes up in the absence of Smith.
6. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
6 of 11
The Pistons' fourth-ranked starter has shown improvement from his rookie season.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has become a more prolific offensive player, averaging three more points per 36 minutes than in 2013-14, according to Basketball-Reference, and improving his three-point percentage from 31.9 to 35.7.
Though his 10.1 PER for the season is pretty brutal, Caldwell-Pope has played efficient basketball during the winning streak, shooting 29-of-63 from the field (46 percent), which is well up from the 39.6 percent he has shot for the season as a whole.
Add in that Caldwell-Pope has been a better-than-average defender, holding opposing shooting guards to a PER of 13.7, per 82games, and there is plenty of promise for the 21-year-old. But his season-long efficiency and lack of playmaking (0.9 assists per game) keep him from being any higher.
5. D.J. Augustin
7 of 11
No player was helped in the rankings by recent play more than D.J. Augustin.
The seventh-year point guard was instrumental in the Pistons' back-to-back road wins against the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks. He finished with 19 points and five assists against the Spurs, then followed it up with 26 points while shooting 4-of-5 from three in Dallas.
Augustin has been solid, if not as impressive, throughout the season, averaging more than nine points and four assists. He has also been decent defensively, holding opposing point guards to a PER of 14.7, according to 82games.
He has struggled with his jump shot. He is making just 38.5 percent of his field goals and 28.4 percent of his threes—below his career averages in both.
Augustin is no longer pushing for the starting spot, but he has proved to be one of the best reserve guards in the East.
4. Jodie Meeks
8 of 11
With the way he is playing, kicking off the top four with Jodie Meeks seems almost criminal.
The release of Smith certainly is playing a role in Detroit's recent success, but Meeks' recovery from a back injury may be even more important.
He has overshadowed every other shooter on the roster, knocking down 47.1 percent of his threes through 13 games. That was highlighted by a 9-of-11 performance from deep in a blowout of the Orlando Magic.
Meeks is providing off the bench what Dumars thought Ben Gordon would supply five years ago. He is also doing it at a discounted rate while providing veteran leadership.
The Pistons were 3-19 before Meeks played his first game of the season. They have been 9-4 with him on the court.
3. Greg Monroe
9 of 11
It appears that the Pistons have a rejuvenated Greg Monroe in the absence of Smith.
Monroe had perhaps his best showing of the season against the Mavericks with 27 points, 18 rebounds and six assists. It was his fourth consecutive double-double and fifth during the win streak.
He is playing well enough to force Van Gundy's hand in terms of playing time. Monroe is averaging less than 30 minutes for the first time since he was a rookie, and he had played 30 minutes or more only twice in nine games prior to his monster performance.
Van Gundy loves to have a three-point-shooting power forward on the court with Drummond, but with Monroe playing so well, he can't be kept away. His PER has been rising steadily throughout the season, and at 19.87, per ESPN.com, it is higher than in his previous two seasons.
Monroe just continues to increase his value for the upcoming free-agency period.
2. Brandon Jennings
10 of 11
Brandon Jennings looks like a completely different player sans Smith than he did to begin the season.
Prior to Smith's release, Jennings was averaging 12.6 points, shooting 36.8 percent from the field and 32.7 percent from beyond the arc.
Since then he has scored 19.3 points per night, and his shooting percentages are up to 48.7 and 42.9, respectively.
More importantly, he just looks like a happier person on the basketball court. His body language is improved. He looks engaged defensively and seems to care about his teammates.
If you want to point to Smith's departure as the reason for Detroit's winning streak, then the argument begins with Jennings' turnaround.
1. Andre Drummond
11 of 11
The great recent play of Meeks, Monroe and Jennings wasn't enough to knock Andre Drummond from the No. 1 spot.
While Monroe was having his best game of the season against the Mavericks, Drummond was having an off night—to the tune of six points and 19 rebounds.
He has been on a freakish tear since a relatively slow November. He has 11 double-doubles in 18 games since then and has averaged 14.4 points, 16.4 rebounds and two blocks during the winning streak.
With Van Gundy surrounding Drummond with shooting at every position (unless Monroe is sharing the court), he is getting much easier opportunities than he was with Smith on the court. Double-teams are coming slower or not at all, so the 21-year-old center can take his time and use his athleticism.
Van Gundy is turning this Pistons team into a good approximation of his Magic teams from the previous decade. And Drummond playing the role of Dwight Howard is the key to it all.
Right now he is filling in nicely.
All records and statistics accurate through January 8, 2014 and are from NBA.com unless otherwise noted.
Jakub Rudnik covers the Detroit Pistons as a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
