Detroit Pistons: Who should start at small forward?

A position battle that was hard to predict in training camp remains unsettled for the Detroit Pistons after the 2018-19 season’s opening week.

A lot of positive things are happening during the Detroit Pistons‘ surprisingly hot start to the 2018-19 NBA season.

Putting together three straight nail-biting victories — highlighted by Tuesday’s overtime thriller against the Philadelphia 76ers — has generated a buzz nationally as well as locally for the Pistons.

Blake Griffin is looking like an MVP candidate, Andre Drummond is already on pace to lead the league in rebounding for the third time in four years, and Reggie Jackson is averaging a career-high 20.0 points per game and hasn’t gotten injured yet. The rotations and strategies of first-year head coach Dwane Casey are working, making Detroit’s executive leadership look smart for hiring the reigning NBA Coach of the Year.

Most importantly, Detroit’s identity as a team is coming into focus. Griffin is the go-to scorer. Jackson is a clutch No. 2 option. Drummond holds down the paint. Ish Smith is a great backup point guard who keeps the pace up-tempo.

The Pistons don’t have the squad of shooters that Casey would prefer, and their perimeter defense has been mostly terrible, but they’ve compiled enough firepower to make a serious push at returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

There is, however, one source of notable uncertainty.

Who is the Pistons’ best option at small forward?

Going into training camp, the starting wing positions were up for grabs in Detroit. Jackson, Griffin and Drummond were locked in at point guard, power forward and center, respectively. The assumption was that Luke Kennard and Reggie Bullock would compete for the lead shooting guard spot, while Stanley Johnson and Glenn Robinson III would vie for the job at small forward.

Due to some injuries and illnesses, and Casey breaking from tradition with his lineups, things haven’t played out as expected — particularly at the small forward position.

Johnson and Bullock both missed the season opener against the Brooklyn Nets, leading Casey to go with a three-guard starting lineup featuring Jackson at the point and Kennard and rookie Bruce Brown Jr. on the wings. Kennard and Brown played 19 minutes apiece that night, while Robinson came off the bench for 20 minutes. Robinson finished with four points, one steal and one block.

In game No. 2 against the Chicago Bulls, Johnson and Bullock were both healthy and in the starting lineup. Johnson put up 10 points and seven rebounds in 30 minutes, while Robinson had five points and two rebounds in 13 minutes off the bench.

In game No. 3 against the Sixers, Johnson and Bullock again started on the wings. Johnson went scoreless in 19 minutes, but Robinson didn’t play at all, even in an overtime game. Even in the aftermath of that victory, it would be an understatement to say there was disappointment and frustration among Pistons Nation regarding the 2015 lottery pick.

As he struggles early in the season, should Johnson keep his starting job?

He’s one of the better defenders on a team that desperately needs to get more stops, but he is regressing offensively. Through three games Johnson is averaging just 5.0 points per game on 22.2 percent shooting from the field. His Player Efficiency Rating (PER) is a shockingly low 1.5 this season.

For the sake of comparison to some other role player small forwards in the East, Washington’s Otto Porter Jr. has a 13.8 PER, while Miami’s Justise Winslow is at 11.5.

Robinson isn’t playing much at all. He’s averaging 16.5 minutes per game in his two appearances, scoring 4.5 points per game. Robinson brings athleticism and shooting to the table, and he’s a local fan favorite who played college ball at Michigan. Casey is apparently still waiting to see more from him before he trusts him with more playing time.

Bullock is another candidate to start at small forward should someone else (Kennard) earn the starting shooting guard spot, or if Casey continues experiments more with playing Jackson and Smith at both backcourt spots.

Bullock is Detroit’s best 3-point shooter, finishing second in the league in 3-point accuracy last season at 44.5 percent beyond the arc. But Bullock’s defense is lacking, to the point where he’s a liability on that end.

Defense is the reason why, for now, Johnson should remain in the starting lineup. Griffin and Jackson are scoring well enough to cover the fact that Detroit is sometimes playing 4-on-5 offensively when Johnson is on the floor. On the other end, they need the 6’7″, 245-pound powerhouse who can at least physically hang with the talented wing scorers in the East.

The Pistons are winning, so some of their flaws can be overlooked. But as the season drags on and the pressure increases, and certain guys don’t improve, figuring out the rotation at small forward could pose a big dilemma.