Detroit Pistons: 2018-19 NBA season preview

Storyline 3: Can the team stay healthy?

The team’s expected starting five should contain some combination of Jackson, Bullock, Griffin, Drummond, Robinson, Johnson and Kennard. Four of those seven players, Griffin, Bullock, Jackson and Robinson, have missed time on a regular basis in their career. Casey is a great coach, but this team can’t afford for three of five starters to miss significant time this season. All of them bring an important piece to this group, and their absence could spell a significant downturn for the team.

One negative already is the status of Jackson. Coming out of Media Day, it was learned that he may not be ready for the start of the season. When he’s healthy and playing well, Jackson can be a top-15 point guard in this league. He can get to the rim at a good level, and he also finishes well in close. Jackson isn’t expected to miss a ton of time, but this isn’t a good start for a player that might be on the move during the season.

Bullock played a career-high number of games last season, yet that was only 62 games. He is expected to lead their 3-point barrage again this season, and his absence would significantly hurt their spacing, which will already be worse without the aforementioned Tolliver. Griffin is expected to be the main focal point of this team this year and in the immediate future. If he’s out, Casey’s plan for this season might become to focus on the future and embrace a miniature tank this year.