The Pistons have used a rookie in their opening-night starting lineup for the past four seasons, but Ron Holland isn’t likely to continue that tradition, Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press writes in a mailbag column. Holland was a high lottery pick — like Killian Hayes , Cade Cunningham , Jaden Ivey and Ausar Thompson — but he may not have an opportunity to contribute right away on an improved roster.
Tobias Harris will claim one starting forward spot after signing a two-year, $52MM deal in free agency. Holland will battle for minutes with Thompson, Simone Fontecchio , Tim Hardaway Jr. and possibly Isaiah Stewart if he’s not used exclusively as a center. Sankofa points out that Fontecchio and Hardaway are among the team’s most effective outside shooters, so at least one of them should be on the court most of the time.
Sankofa called Holland “electric” during the Las Vegas Summer League and states that his defensive prowess and play-making should give him a bright NBA future. However, there may not be a path to regular playing time until Hardaway’s contract expires next summer.
There’s more from Detroit:
- The Pistons are still in position to take on an unwanted contract in exchange for draft assets, Sankofa adds in the same piece. New head of basketball operations Trajan Langdon expressed a willingness to get involved in those type of deals, but so far it’s only happened with the addition of Hardaway. Sankofa points out that Detroit still has about $11.5MM in remaining cap room, along with a $7.9MM room exception. He expects opportunities to arise before the February deadline to become the third team in a trade and help facilitate a deal.
- Vitaly Potapenko will become an assistant to new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link ). The longtime NBA center transitioned to coaching in 2009 after his playing career ended, and he spent the past six years as an assistant in Memphis.
- Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report lists the Pistons as one of the most improved teams during the offseason. In addition to adding Harris, Holland and Hardaway, Detroit also signed Malik Beasley in free agency and claimed Paul Reed off waivers.