Detroit Pistons Figuring out Their Backcourt, Again
The Detroit Pistons have endured another disappointing season, and their backcourt inconsistency has played a major role in missing the playoffs yet again.
With Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton playing guard, the Pistons had one of the top backcourts of the previous decade. That led to big results: six straight Eastern Conference Finals from 2003 to 2008.
Then they traded Billups.
The team's only playoff appearance since that trade was in 2009, when the Pistons finished with 39 wins and the No. 8 seed.
During the seven consecutive losing seasons that followed, several players were expected to revitalize the backcourt. Rodney Stuckey was waiting in the wings when the Billups trade was made. Ben Gordon was signed in 2009 and expected to be a younger version of Hamilton. The Pistons drafted the high-upside Brandon Knight in 2011 then traded him for Brandon Jennings two summers later.
Jennings had a great start to his Pistons career, averaging 15.6 points and 7.2 rebounds in each of the first four months of the 2013-14 season. Then he finished the year with 11.7 points and 7.3 assists in March and 13.1 points and 5.9 assists—on 33.3 percent shooting—in April.
At the same time, Detroit's 2013 first-round pick—shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope—was failing to make an immediate impact. He fell out of the starting lineup by February and finished the year with a player efficiency rating (PER) of 9.4 (15 is league average).
In 2014-15, Jennings overcame early questions about playing time with some of the best basketball of his career after the Josh Smith trade. In 13 January games, he averaged 20.9 points and 7.2 assists and shot 43.5 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from the arc. He was playing well enough to generate some All-Star consideration. Then he suffered a season-ending Achilles injury.
The backcourt plan was changed one final time at the trade deadline when coach and team president Stan Van Gundy traded for point guard Reggie Jackson from the Oklahoma City Thunder. With Jackson's impending restricted free agency this offseason and his chemistry issues in OKC, the Pistons were able to take a flier on him with minimal risk.
Detroit's record with Jackson and Caldwell-Pope together hasn't been great, but the individual numbers of each have been positive. But are these the right pieces to finally bring stability back to the Pistons?
Shooting Guard
If someone created the ideal "three-and-D" shooting guard, the resulting player would be physically very similar to Caldwell-Pope.
At 6'5" with a 6'8" wingspan, he has the length to defend 2s and a fair number of 3s. His 205-pound frame allows him to battle with all but the biggest wings. His lateral quickness tested fifth-best among his 52-man draft class. And his leaping ability can be downright explosive.
Throw in a pretty shooting stroke, and Caldwell-Pope looks the part of a top NBA shooting guard.
The results just haven't reflected that so far.
In 2014-15, he is shooting 39.8 percent from the floor and 33.4 percent from three, while his PER is 10.9. Those are improvements from his rookie season. He hasn't found a way to impact the offense without shooting the ball, averaging just 1.3 assists and 1.8 free throw attempts.
Caldwell-Pope is just 22 but he is already a plus defender. He has held opposing shooting guards to a PER of 13.6 this season, according to 82games. If he can continue to improve on the offensive end, then he will be an above-average NBA starter.
His five-game stretch from March 17 to 24—when he averaged 22.4 points on 53.8 percent shooting—shows the kind of potential he has. March (with Jackson) was the highest scoring month of his career. Van Gundy should be able to head into this offseason with confidence that he has the right shooting guard to build around.
Point Guard
KCP may look the part of a traditional shooting guard, but the Pistons' point guards don't exactly fit the position's mold.
Jennings has the slight build—6'1" and 169 pounds—and lateral quickness of a lead guard. He was seventh in assists per game in 2013-14. But he gambles defensively and is a chucker on the other end. This season will mark just the second time in his career he finished above 40 percent shooting from the floor.
Jackson is built like a shooting guard at 6'3" and 208 pounds. Defensively, his fundamentals are much better than Jennings and his size does allow him to defend many 2s. Like Jennings, he looks to score first, though he's the weaker shooter of the pair. In Detroit, he has improved his facilitation, averaging 8.6 assists per game.
Since Jackson will be a restricted free agent, the Pistons can match any offer he receives this summer. Jennings is on the books for one more year before becoming a unrestricted free agent. Their staggered contracts allow Van Gundy a degree of flexibility.
If he believes Jackson can be the guy to lead them back to the playoffs, then Van Gundy can work out a long-term contract for him this summer. There are exceptions, but typically teams don't give offers to restricted free agents because it ties up cap space for up to 72 hours while the player's current team decides whether or not to match.
With that (hopefully) depressed market, Van Gundy can work out a suitable deal for both sides. With the salary cap going up significantly the following offseason, slightly overpaying now should not be a big issue. With Jennings still on the roster, the Pistons have a backup plan if a deal can't be reached.
An Achilles injury can alter a career, but Jennings is hopefully young enough to make a full recovery. If the Pistons have to move on from Jackson, then they will get another year to look at Jennings and decide if he is worth investing in for another long-term contract. If Jackson is re-signed, then Jennings either becomes a high-scoring sixth man or trade bait for a team in need of a point guard.
There are certainly questions about Jackson's game and what he will cost to re-sign, but his health, contract status and defensive ability should make him the top choice going forward.
Big Picture
With Caldwell-Pope and Jackson, the Pistons have two big, athletic guards with potential on both ends of the court. Given time to develop together—as well as with center Andre Drummond—it is easy to envision the team pushing offensively and playing aggressive, high-pressure defense.
Caldwell-Pope has been inconsistent offensively, but all of the tools are there and he is still young enough to be a college senior. Jackson's win-loss record (7-13) hasn't been as good as his statistics in Detroit, but that blame should only fall partly on him. The team's lack of a quality starting small forward deserves a hefty share.
As long as the price is right, Van Gundy needs to bring back Jackson and let him develop alongside Caldwell-Pope. There is no guarantee that either becomes a top 10 player at his respective position, but both players have the potential to do so.
Unless Van Gundy is willing to set this rebuilding process back even further, he will have to roll the dice on these two.
All records and statistics are accurate through April 2 and are from NBA.com, unless otherwise noted. All salary information is from ShamSports.com.
Jakub Rudnik covers the Detroit Pistons as a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
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