Pistons SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ‘probably’ won’t start
By Brad Rowland
Just days after Detroit Pistons head coach Maurice Cheeks declared that it would be an open competition at the shooting guard spot, he is reportedly signing a slightly different tune as of Wednesday morning.
When asked by Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free-Press, Cheeks had this to say about the battle for the starting spot:
"“Probably Rodney will, but I don’t know if Kentavious will or not. I’m not sure. I just don’t think he will be starting at this point. I reserve the right to change my mind, but as of this point, no. It would do him a disservice for me to say, ‘No, he’s not going to start,’ because he’s played as well as anybody in training camp.”"
That seems to be a far cry from his previous comments, but it isn’t entirely surprising. The Pistons have millions and millions (3 years, $25.5 million) invested in Stuckey, and Caldwell-Pope is considered to be pretty raw for an NBA lottery pick. However, Caldwell-Pope has significantly more upside, and there has been considerably chatter that he would be the best fit for the new-look team.
Stuckey’s reputation as a shoot-first, position-less combo guard precedes him, and frankly, it’s spot-on. Caldwell-Pope’s 1-for-12 shooting performance (against Maccabi Haifa) on Tuesday may have been the decisive factor, but for me, he’s the better option, both now and moving forward.
The focus of the 2013-14 Pistons probably won’t be on the shooting guard spot with Brandon Jennings and Josh Smith in the fold, but it could be crucial if Detroit is aiming to make a “leap” this season.