Pistons projected lineup and rotations heading into 2023-24 season
Detroit Pistons starting shooting guard: Jaden Ivey
Jaden Ivey was excellent in his rookie season, especially after the All-Star break. He lived up to his billing as the No. 5 pick and figures to be a central figure in the next decade of Pistons basketball. We didn’t get to see much of the Ivey-Cunningham backcourt, but what we did see was enough to establish a strong foundation for optimism.
In many ways, Ivey is the perfect complement to Cunningham. He’s an open-court speedster who loves to get out on the fast break. Cunningham loves to kickstart fast breaks with rebounds and hit-ahead passes. Cunningham operates with a deliberate, side-to-side rhythm. Ivey catches and attacks downhill with 99th-percentile speed and agility, putting frequent pressure on the rim.
Ivey will need to improve his 3-point numbers over time (34.3 percent on 4.7 attempts), but the volume is there. He averaged 16.3 points and 5.2 assists on 52.8 TS%, with much of the season spent as Detroit’s top guard and No. 2 scorer. The efficiency wasn’t great, but that’s the case with the vast majority of rookie guards. As Ivey gets more comfortable with NBA physicality and the breakneck speed of the game, he will improve in the turnover department, draw more fouls, and take better shots. Cunningham should also give Ivey a considerable boost in all those areas.
While not the best defender as a rookie, Ivey is a springy athlete with ample potential to develop into a defensive playmaker. He’s stronger than most guards his size at the point of attack and he should eventually become a regular infestation in opposing passing lanes. Ivey is a star on the rise and the Pistons should be thrilled about his incoming second-year leap.
Primary backup shooting guard: Alec Burks
After bouncing around the last several years, Alec Burks appears to have found a real home in Detroit. That home could vanish in an instant — he’s still a vet on a young team, with plenty of potential suitors at the trade deadline — but Burks was central to the Pistons’ offensive execution last season.
The arrival of Cade Cunningham and No. 5 pick Ausar Thompson, plus whatever leap Ivey makes, will cut into Burks’ playing time and importance. That said, Burks should continue to supply value as a volume 3-point shooter whose role within the offense is flexible. Burks can run point and initiate sets, or he can work off the ball as a spacer and slasher. He’s also big enough, at 6-foot-6 and 214 pounds, to defend a few positions and survive in three-guard lineups.