Detroit Pistons: Point Guard Question Looms for Maurice Cheeks

The Detroit Pistons have tried the combo-guard approach to the point guard position since dealing away Chauncey Billups in 2008 and the results have been … not good.

With Chauncey Billups at the point, the Detroit Pistons went to six straight Eastern Conference Finals, two NBA Finals and won a title. Without him? Not so much. Photo via Flickr user Jon.

The Pistons signed Billups as a free agent from the Minnesota Timberwolves in July 2002, his sixth team in just six seasons for the No. 3 overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft. Billups was drafted by the Boston Celtics, traded to the Toronto Raptors late in his rookie season, dealt to the Denver Nuggets the summer after his rookie year, traded to the Orlando Magic while sitting out most of the 1999-2000 season with a shoulder injury and then signed as a free agent by the Timberwolves.

What happened for Billups and the Pistons was magical: Billups transformed himself from draft bust to Finals MVP and three-time All-Star for the Pistons and Detroit went on an unprecedented run of success, reaching the Eastern Conference Finals in each of Billups’ six full seasons at The Palace of Auburn Hills, winning the NBA title in 2004 and reaching the Finals in 2005.

The Pistons traded Billups along with Antonio McDyess and Cheikh Samb to the Nuggets for Allen Iverson in November 2008 and the franchise hasn’t been the same since.

Detroit sneaked into the playoffs with a 39-43 record in 2008-09 and was promptly swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The last four years, the Pistons have been spring spectators, going 27-55, 30-52, 25-41 and this season, 29-53. Since the Billups’ trade, Michael Curry, John Kuester and Lawrence Frank have come and gone as head coaches.

Maurice Cheeks will be the Pistons’ sixth coach in just 10 seasons in 2013-14. (NBA.com photo)

The Pistons signed former Portland Trail Blazers and Philadelphia 76ers coach Maurice Cheeks to be their new head coach last week, in part because of his recent experience working with All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook as an assistant for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

At a press conference on Thursday, June 13, Cheeks wouldn’t commit to Brandon Knight, the second-year pro out of Kentucky who Frank tried to make into a point guard. Prior to Knight, the Pistons experimented with former Eastern Washington star Rodney Stuckey—trying to make a volume-shooter into a point guard.

The results, as borne out by Detroit’s recent lack of success, have been less than spectacular.

One guard who doesn’t appear to be in the mix for the Pistons in 2013-14 is Jose Calderon. Acquired in late January as part of a three-team deal with the Raptors and Memphis Grizzlies, Calderon will be a free agent on July 1. Since neither Cheeks nor general manager Joe Dumars mentioned Calderon’s name at their press conference, it’s safe to assume the Spaniard is moving on.

In 28 games with Detroit, Calderon averaged 11.6 points and 6.6 assists per game in 31.7 minutes a night. He had an assist rate of 34.1 percent. In short, Calderon was a point guard.

By contrast, Knight averaged 13.3 points and four assists in 31.5 minutes per game. His assist rate was a paltry 21.3 percent. That ranked 40th among NBA guards—not point guards … all guards.

Let’s put it this way: Knight finished behind noted gunners Jordan Crawford and Brandon Jennings in assist rate.

Yeah.

Here’s some video from one of Calderon’s best games in his brief tenure as a Piston:

Stuckey played a lot more 2 guard after Knight was drafted eighth overall in 2011 and he still managed an assist rate of 20.3 percent. That’s down from the 27.5 percent rate he had in 2010-11, his last season at the point.

Knight has had a rough couple of years, as evidenced by this mix of lowlights but together by one particularly cruel YouTube user:

In fairness, though, Knight has had his good moments, too.

For his part, Cheeks seemed reluctant to come right out and declare that he would be tutoring Knight in the same fashion he did Westbrook.

“Brandon has some point-guard skills and he has some 2-guard skills,” Cheeks said, according to the Detroit News. “So I’m not gonna label Brandon as just a point guard. Stuckey can also play some point guard. To say (Knight) can just be a point guard, I don’t think so. He can be a 1 and he can be a 2, as Stuckey can.”

The Pistons will again be picking eighth overall and one would have to think a point guard would be their top priority. However, there have been rumbles out of Auburn Hills that the Pistons might target a small forward in the draft.

Then there’s that whole $20 million to $25 million in cap space Detroit is projected to have this summer.

ESPN.com’s Chad Ford has the Pistons taking Syracuse point guard Michael Carter-Williams with the eighth pick in his latest mock draft. This pick makes sense because Williams, at 6’6”, could offset any size mismatches encountered by the 6’2” Knight at the 2 on the defensive end.

However, only one of the four mock drafters at USA Today’s HoopsWorld.com have the Pistons taking a point guard. In the most recent HoopsWorld.com mock draft, two of their panelists have Detroit taking Lehigh’s C.J. McCollum at No. 8. McCollum is … wait for it … a combo guard. A third panelist has the Pistons selecting UCLA’s controversial Shabazz Muhammad. Only Joel Brigham has Detroit tabbing a point guard, Michigan’s Trey Burke.

At NBADraft.net, Indiana swingman Victor Oladipo is projected to be Detroit’s pick at No. 8 overall and draftexpress.com says it will be McCollum.

Our own most recent mock draft at HoopsHabit.com by Andrew Anderson had the Pistons selecting Muhammad.

The Detroit Pistons haven’t had much success since dealing away their last real point guard five years ago. It’s hard to see them having much success in the future if Maurice Cheeks is the best point guard on their roster … at age 56.