Detroit Pistons: 5 goals following 2019 NBA All-Star break

5. Find out what they have in their young talent

Following a couple of trade deadline deals, the Pistons now have an intriguing group of young players full of potential but light on experience: Thon Maker (21 years old), Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (21), Khyri Thomas (21), Bruce Brown Jr. (22) and Luke Kennard (22).

All five could become valuable contributors for the Pistons sooner than later, or each of them could be better used as assets for future trades. It would be nice to get a clearer picture of what each youngster can do during this season’s stretch run.

Brown, the most productive of Detroit’s three rookies, has carved out a role for himself as a part-time starting guard and defensive specialist. The second round draft pick is averaging 19.8 minutes per game, scoring 4.7 points to go with 2.7 rebounds. Brown looks like a keeper, but he’ll need to get better offensively to secure a bigger role.

Thomas, drafted four spots ahead of Brown, has shown flashes in limited playing time. He’s only appeared in 17 games for 8.9 minutes per game. Thomas fits the profile of a 3-and-D wing — he was the two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year and shot 40.6 percent beyond the arc at Creighton — but could also use more court time to develop.

The third rookie on the roster is Mykhailiuk, acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers before the deadline. He was labeled a shooter coming out of college, hitting 40.9 percent of his 3-pointers at Kansas, but in his first 39 NBA games with L.A., he made just 31.8 percent of his looks.

Kennard is Detroit’s 2017 lottery pick, famously taken one spot ahead of current Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell. Kennard has mostly come off the bench at shooting guard, scoring 8.4 points in 20.9 minutes per game. His effectiveness, like his playing time, has been inconsistent and his defense needs work.

Maker was another trade deadline addition. His perimeter offensive skills as a seven-footer and ability to protect the rim on defense made him a key part of the Milwaukee Bucks‘ 2018 playoff team, but this season, his minutes decreased before he reportedly asked to be traded. Maker, the No. 10 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, could be a unique talent and difference-maker for Detroit.

All five of the Pistons’ youngest players are under contract for the 2019-20 season with reasonably affordable salaries. Without tanking, the coaching staff and front office can strategically use this time to gauge their potential and see who they want to keep for this renewal project moving forward.