Grading Every Detroit Pistons Player Heading into 2015 NBA All-Star Break
When looking at the Detroit Pistons' 2014-15 season, it is almost impossible not to view at it as two distinctly different periods.
The first is the opening 28 games, when head coach Stan Van Gundy's troops stumbled out to a 5-23 record.
But since that 23rd loss to the Brooklyn Nets on December 21, the Pistons are an impressive 16-9, including 7-5 against teams currently in the playoffs. That stretch also began—coincidentally or not—immediately after forward Josh Smith was waived.
So to evaluate the entire roster at essentially the end of the season's second trimester, the entire body of work needs to be examined. But because this team has been so different since Christmas, recent performance will be weighted particularly heavily.
For everyone on the roster, a grade will be assigned based on the individual's play in comparison to what expectations were for that given player. They are not ranked against one another.
For example, LeBron James is among the best players in the world, so if he were to be graded against everyone else in the NBA, he would be an A+. But if he were instead graded like the Pistons are in the following slides, he would rate significantly lower than an A+, since this season has been a disappointment by his standards.
Each Piston has received a grade, and they are listed in descending order based on total minutes played.
End of the Bench
1 of 11
Luigi Datome
Italian swingman Luigi Datome has been great when he has seen the court this season: averaging 21 points per 36 minutes with a player efficiency rating (PER) of 20.2. Unfortunately, he's only appeared in two games thus far despite being healthy.
Datome's shooting ability seemed like it would be a great match for Van Gundy's coaching style, but it apparently has not been the case. With the addition of so many other deep threats since Van Gundy came to Detroit, Datome has unfortunately been forgotten.
Grade: Incomplete
John Lucas III
Van Gundy did not wait long before getting John Lucas III into the rotation after signing him to help fill in for the injured Brandon Jennings. Lucas has played at least 13 minutes in each of the past four games, dishing 18 assists in that span.
Lucas is a defensive liability, can look too often for his own shot and can be out-muscled by bigger point guards. But he is an NBA veteran and should be a steadying force off the bench. He just needs more than five games to get a fair assessment.
Grade: Incomplete
Cartier Martin
Whereas Datome has made just single-digit shots (five) thus far due to playing time, Cartier Martin does not have a lack of minutes as an excuse.
Martin has converted only nine field goals in 2014-15, but he has attempted 34 in 126 minutes. That's good for 26.5 percent, which dwarfs his 18.2 three-point percentage (4-for-22).
As a career 37.6-percent shooter from deep, Martin was expected to provide some range at the end of the bench. But he hasn't, and his PER is a stupendously bad .19.
Grade: F
Spencer Dinwiddie
As a 21-year-old rookie coming off a major knee injury with two veterans ahead of him on the depth chart, Spencer Dinwiddie wasn't expected to see much action this season. Then Jennings went down with an Achilles tear.
Dinwiddie saw minutes in five consecutive games before Lucas got signed and then inserted into the rotation. Dinwiddie wasn't impressive and shot 5-for-18 from the field with six turnovers. But his assist-to-turnover ratio for the season is still over 3:1, so there's reason for continued optimism.
Grade: C
Joel Anthony
When the Pistons traded Will Bynum for Joel Anthony, there was no question that they were getting a big body with a high motor who could be an end-of-the-bench big man.
That's exactly what they've gotten. Anthony plays almost exclusively in garbage time, though he is good for six fouls in the post if necessary. If anything, he's been more efficient than ever before: He's averaging career highs per 36 minutes in points (7.1), rebounds (8.9) and blocks (3.6), according to Basketball-Reference.
Grade: B-
Anthony Tolliver
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If you don't believe that Smith's departure from Detroit was responsible for the Pistons' success over the past six weeks, perhaps you want to attribute it strictly to Van Gundy trading for Anthony Tolliver.
Just days after their big move, the Pistons acquired Tolliver from the Phoenix Suns for Tony Mitchell in what seemed like a deal that would not move the needle for either team.
Instead, Tolliver has been an essential piece of Detroit's rotation. Unlike Smith, who made less than 30 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc, Tolliver has been a true stretch 4, hitting 36.9 percent of his triples with the Pistons. He shot even better in Phoenix, so there is still room for improvement.
Tolliver has helped to fill the talent void left by Smith, coming off the bench almost 19 minutes per game. Though Smith is the far superior player in a vacuum, the fact that Tolliver's defender must respect him on the perimeter opens up extra room in the paint for guards to penetrate or the big sharing the floor to operate on the block.
For many other teams, Tolliver might not get much run at all. But with Van Gundy's desire to get four shooters on the court frequently, the fit has been quite good so far.
Grade: A-
Jonas Jerebko
3 of 11
Speaking of stretch 4s, Jonas Jerebko's year-over-year minutes average may actually increase for the first time in his career.
Under Van Gundy, Jerebko is being used nearly four more minutes per game more than in 2013-14. As a similar player to Tolliver, he knocks down 36.8 percent of his triples, enough to keep opposing bigs honest and draw them out of the paint. He didn't have the skill two seasons ago, and it wasn't utilized last year.
Van Gundy was the perfect coach to take advantage.
With the other bigs on the roster, Tolliver and Jerebko are free to operate within the offense and serve as floor-spacers. Neither is a great defender or can really create his own shot, but their presence alone on the court makes the offense run smoother than when Smith was playing.
Jerebko has not been good in February though, scoring just two points in 29 minutes while Tolliver has 48 points in 117. There is a good chance he has been passed in the rotation.
Grade: B
Jodie Meeks
4 of 11
Jodie Meeks was the Pistons' prize of the 2014 free agency period, and him missing their first 22 games due to injury certainly didn't help their cause. So maybe it's no surprise that they are 18-13 with him in the lineup.
But Meeks has actually not been that good since December, when he averaged 13.9 points while shooting 49.4 and 50 percent from the field and three, respectively. In January that dropped to 10.2 points while shooting 34.5 and 26.2 percent. In five February games he has gone 3-for-22 from the arc (13.6 percent).
Slumps happen, and Meeks' reputation and ability as a shooter force defenders to monitor him beyond the arc. But there is no doubt that his play in 2015 has been a letdown.
Grade: C+
Caron Butler
5 of 11
Coming into the season, nobody expected that the Pistons were getting the Caron Butler who used to go toe-to-toe with LeBron James and Paul Pierce—that player was long gone.
But his drop-off in 2014-15 has been brutal.
He is hitting just 38.4 percent of his field goals and 31.7 percent of his threes, and his PER is 7.9—a four-point drop from 2013-14.
His January was particularly awful. While the rest of the team was en fuego, Butler averaged just 3.8 points while shooting 30.8 percent from the field and making 22.2 percent of his threes.
Butler has played 21 minutes a night off the bench, which is baffling for a team with serious playoff aspirations. His veteran leadership is something they need in the locker room, but his play has simply not cut it.
Grade: D
Brandon Jennings
6 of 11
Much like the Pistons as a whole, Brandon Jennings' season needs to be examined in pieces.
In November he was arguably their best player, averaging 18.5 points and 6.1 assists. But his play dropped off a cliff in December, as his scoring was cut in half, and he made less than one-third of his field goals.
But then Smith left, and Jennings played possibly the best basketball of his career, averaging 19.8 points and seven assists. And unlike in the first two months of the season, he just looked like he enjoyed playing basketball again.
Then, against the Milwaukee Bucks, Jennings planted his foot and crumpled to the floor in excruciating pain. A torn Achilles left no doubt that his season was cut prematurely.
This season, Jennings vacillated between being Detroit's best and its most disappointing player. He gave Van Gundy many games of evidence that he should be around for the long haul, yet did this. So which player was Jennings really in 2014-15?
His season ended before we could really find out.
Grade: B
D.J. Augustin
7 of 11
With Jennings out, nobody will have to take on a bigger increase in role than D.J. Augustin.
A season after filling in admirably for an injured Derrick Rose with the Chicago Bulls, Augustin became one of the top backups in the NBA in Detroit. With the injury, he is again thrust into a starting lineup with pressure to create his own shot off the dribble.
Thus far, he has not shied away from the challenge, averaging 20.1 points and 8.2 assists in nine full games. The Pistons have gone 4-5 in that stretch, though they are 3-2 against teams currently in the playoffs.
As a backup, Augustin did a solid job bringing a change of pace to the offense. And since being handed the keys to the team, he's had a good amount of success. They will need more of that in order to make the playoffs.
Grade: B+
Kyle Singler
8 of 11
In three NBA seasons, Kyle Singler's game has changed quite a bit. Yet so much remains the same.
He was an average outside shooter as a rookie, hitting 35 percent of his threes. Today he is borderline-elite, knocking down 41.1 percent of them—tied for No. 15 among qualified players, per ESPN.
He's making more perimeter jumpers, yet his overall field-goal percentage is down 4.2 points. Singler is also rarely getting to the line—down from 2.8 to one attempt per 36 minutes, according to Basketball-Reference. His rebounds per 36 minutes are also down for the second consecutive season.
But despite the improved perimeter play and diminished returns elsewhere, he remains a low-useage role player who is cast improperly in a starting role. He turns the ball over less than once a game, yet he is just an average defender and barely creates offense for others.
Under Van Gundy, Singler's improved shooting ability has been an excellent development, and he very quietly makes their offense run smoothly. But the rest of his game has lagged behind his jumper. Adding another layer to his skill set would make him a much more useful starter.
Grade: B-
Greg Monroe
9 of 11
The only player who may have benefited from Smith leaving more than Jennings is Greg Monroe.
Without Smith in the rotation, Monroe has seen an increase in playing time for two straight months. And his scoring, rebounding, assist and shooting numbers are all up in 2015:
- December: 15.1 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 1.3 APG, 45.4 FG%
- January: 16.9 PPG, 12.6 RPG, 2.6 APG, 52.6 FG%
- February: 17.4 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 1.6 APG, 52.3 FG%
Smith took more shots than any other Piston and frequently had the ball in his hands. With him gone, Monroe is free to operate on the block. His scoring and assist numbers are creeping back toward his 2012-13 marks—when he had the best season of his career.
With a full frontcourt, Van Gundy's ability to fit Monroe in offensively was always a question. Since Smith was waived, there doesn't seem to be much question as to whether it can work on that end of the court. The next step is more growth defensively.
Grade: B+
Andre Drummond
10 of 11
In his second NBA season, Andre Drummond took a giant leap forward in his development and seemed like he could be a bigger, better version of Dwight Howard. He looked impressive on the court, and he filled up box scores in a way only a handful of great players ever had.
Before the season began, it seemed like the logical progression would be for him to become an All-Star in his third campaign.
He never even entered the conversation for a bid.
Drummond has been inconsistent all season long. In November, he struggled with foul trouble and made only 45.3 percent of his field goals—terribly low for a player who operates almost exclusively at the rim. He had a monster December, but he came back down again in January. His February stats (15.2 points and 13.2 rebounds) again look like he belongs in a video game.
For all the raw talent, Drummond has looked lost at both ends at times. He still can be overmatched in one-on-one defending despite his size and athleticism. He has struggled to find as many easy lobs and put-backs in Van Gundy's offense, and his field-goal percentage is down more than 10 percentage points from each of his first two seasons.
Beyond his shooting percentage, Drummond's per 36 numbers are actually very close to his sophomore campaign, so it is not as if he has taken a major step back. But most people expected this to be a breakout season for Drummond, and it really has not even matched his 2013-14.
Grade: C
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
11 of 11
Though no Piston has played more minutes this season than Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, his up-and-down play makes Drummond look as consistent as a Kyle Korver free throw.
Some nights he looks like a potentially devastating two-way player capable of stuffing a stat sheet. Against the Houston Rockets on January 31, he went for 28 points, five rebounds, four assists, three blocks, one steal and zero turnovers.
He has scored in single digits in three of five games since.
Caldwell-Pope's offense has slowed as the season has progressed, as both his scoring and three-point percentage dropped in each month through January. But he has shown good defensive effort throughout, and 82games.com's data says he has at least been a good individual defender, holding opposing shooting guards to a PER of 13.8.
And yet, NBA.com's on/off court data suggests that Caldwell-Pope is far more important to Detroit's offense than defense. They give up 2.2 more points per 100 possessions when he's on the court than when he is off. But the offense is 5.4 points better per 100 possessions when he plays.
So what is Caldwell-Pope's future? Is he a future No. 1 option who can come off screens like Rip Hamilton and knock down threes? Will he use his lankiness and athleticism to become an elite stopper? Both? Neither?
The first two-thirds of his 2014-15 season have done very little to clear that up for Caldwell-Pope.
Grade: C
All records and statistics accurate through February 11, 2015 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.
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