Detroit Pistons: 2017-18 player grades for Langston Galloway

Detroit Pistons guard Langston Galloway had an underwhelming first season in the Motor City. He’ll have to improve some things to make fans forget it.

In continuation with our Detroit Pistons‘ player grades series, we have reached guard Langston Galloway. Galloway regressed this past season, with his numbers moving down across the board. The majority of that goes to his reduced playing time, as he averaged less than 19 minutes for the first time in his career. Galloway’s impact was felt in more places than just the box score.

Per ESPN‘s real plus/minus metrics, he ranked top 35 among shooting guards in every measurement. He ranked above players like Klay Thompson and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on the defensive end, who have been viewed as defensive stoppers in their careers. Despite his defensive acumen, he averaged his second-lowest steals per game in his career.

Moving forward into next season, he will have to increase his effectiveness to justify his contract. At $7 million per season, he has to be better than he was in 2017-18. He was outperformed by players such as Reggie Bullock and Luke Kennard, who made significantly less money. He has the ability to come off the bench in a role similar to that of Fred VanVleet of the Toronto Raptors.

New head coach Dwane Casey has done a great job of getting players to perform above expectations, and Galloway has that ability. He’s a career 36.1 percent shooter from 3-point range, while also having the ability to distribute the ball. Galloway has never been a box score guy, with his contributions being seen elsewhere. Let’s get into the things he did well by looking at his strengths from this past season.