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Detroit Pistons: How will Jose Calderon fit in next year?

By Daniel Lubofsky

ATLANTA, GA - FEBRUARY 09: Jose Calderon #81 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts to a call during the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena on February 9, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - FEBRUARY 09: Jose Calderon #81 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts to a call during the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena on February 9, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
(Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /

How he fits

Reggie Jackson and Ish Smith are two point guards on Detroit’s roster who have earned the right to play big minutes, likely leaving very little for Calderon in terms of minutes at his natural position.

However, given the current state of the roster as a whole, there is a niche Calderon can fill for the Pistons: 3-point shooting.

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Detroit ranked 14th and 16th in made and attempted 3-pointers last season, which certainly isn’t terrible, but it’s not the rank of an elite team in today’s NBA. With non-shooters like Jackson, Griffin and Drummond getting most of the playing time, there frankly isn’t enough room on the court for the trio to operate.

While Dwane Casey should obviously look to insert Calderon into the game in order to better space the floor, doing so many come at the cost of what Jackson brings to the table.

What Casey could do — something he similarly did last year with the Toronto Raptors — is deploy a dual point guard lineup, giving the Pistons two capable facilitators while maintaining spacing.

The reason this could work is that while Detroit is set at the 1, its 2-guards haven’t proven much of anything. Reggie Bullock and Luke Kennard still have plenty of room to grow, opening the door for Calderon to replace them at certain points of the game to give the Pistons a different look on the offensive end.

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