Pistons Starting Lineup: Locks, fringe, potential break-ins

Pistons Starting Lineup: Who are likely starters, but not quite locks?

Killian Hayes

Make no mistake, Killian Hayes is very LIKELY to start in the backcourt alongside Cunningham. I wouldn’t call him a lock yet though. The Pistons may opt to spread out their point guard coverage between the starters and the bench, and the best bet to do that might end up being to start Cunningham and bring Hayes off the bench.

The remaining Las Vegas Summer League games will be an interesting trial by fire for Hayes alongside Cunningham as the Pistons seek to find the best way to deploy each of them.

Saddiq Bey

Again, Saddiq Bey is very LIKELY to start for the Pistons. Hayes and Bey could be their own category of Likely Locks, but I’m not 100 percent convinced that he’ll start depending on what they think of Hamidou Diallo. Bey can play the three or four as needed, which gives them plenty of versatility, but that versatility does not absolutely have to start games.

I would say Hayes and Bey are both over 75 percent likely to start, making them much better than common fringe candidates, but shy of the lock threshold.