Detroit Pistons Midseason Review And Grades

Small Forwards

The small forward position has been somewhat inconsistent this season. That can be expected with a rookie in the rotation. But the Pistons have been getting much better play from the position as of late.

Marcus Morris has started all 39 games he’s played in with the Pistons, and has taken advantage of the starting role that he’s had for the first time in his career.

Morris is averaging a career-best 14.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. Morris is mostly a scorer on the offensive end. He has a 18.2 usage percentage and a true shooting percentage of 51.1 percent.

His biggest impact has come on the defensive end. He has 1.6 defensive win shares and has a DBPM of 0.9. That’s his first positive DBPM in his career. However, his PER of 12.2 suggests that he isn’t making that large of an impact.

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Stanley Johnson hasn’t been very good this season. He has struggled to find his offensive game, until late. His defense, on the other hand, has been strong off the bench.

Johnson’s PER is a 9.1, which is well below what’s considered the league average (15.0). Most of it can be attributed to his poor offense. He has -0.5 offensive win shares and an OBPM of -3.0.

On the defensive end, Johnson has been good. He has 1.2 defensive win shares and a 0.4 DBPM. Johnson has also been good rebounding the ball with a 15.9 defensive rebounding percentage and averaging 3.9 rebounds per game.

Reggie Bullock and Darrun Hilliard have had minimal playing time. In fact, both have spent time with the Pistons’ D-League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Drive.

Overall, the small forward position hasn’t really improved much over the last review. Johnson has played better on the offensive end in his past six games, with a 19-point game and an 11-point game. But until he is more consistent on the offensive end, he won’t be as big of a factor.

Previous Small Forward Grade: C

Small Forward Grade: C

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