The Detroit Pistons tip-off NBA preseason action next Sunday. Their four exhibition matchups should provide a quality test against the Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Preseason wins and losses do not always tell the story of a team’s direction. However, this will be the first glance at the refreshed roster under the new President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon.

The brand new leader of the Pistons took action quickly filling in major holes, coaching staff, and front office. Preseason will provide the first view of the potential outlook of this developing franchise. There is already an intriguing list of storylines to follow starting with preseason.

Pistons starting lineup

Head coach JB Bickerstaff confirmed he planned on using the Pistons’ exhibition matchups to help determine their routing starting lineup. Detroit’s new-look roster features more athleticism, versatility, and proven veteran talent than they have had over the past several seasons. Bickerstaff must now put together the best blend of players to complement their young core.

The players who will more likely remain in the starting lineup are point guard Cade Cunningham, center Jalen Duren, and shooting guard Jaden Ivey. Bickerstaff and Langdon have admired the leadership and versatility of newly acquired forward Tobias Harris. The multidimensional scoring ability of the 14-year veteran will also aid his case to be a starter.

The other forward position will likely have the most questions around it. Veteran Isaiah Stewart started at power forward for the Pistons during the majority of last season. At Media Day this past Monday, Stewart announced he has spent a lot of time this offseason working as a center. That could push him to the bench behind Duren and keep that four spot still open.

Detroit could start Harris at power forward and then round their frontcourt with veteran Simone Fontecchio. Fontecchio signed an extension with the Pistons this offseason and was one of the brightest surprises last season. The 28-year-old forward averaged 15.4 points per game on 48% shooting from the field and 43% from three in 16 games with Detroit.

The Pistons’ wing depth is taking a hit heading into training camp as second-year forward Ausar Thompson is still dealing with his blood clot issue from last season. Thompson last played in March against the Dallas Mavericks and is currently under NBA procedures to make sure he is safe for full action. His absence could open up a lot of minutes for the other wings on the roster.

Rookie playing time

Plenty of attention should be invested in how the Pistons rookies will be used in the preseason. Detroit is entering the season without the necessity of relying heavily on the production of the first-year players. Pistons’ rookies Ron Holland II and Bobi Klintman can luckily learn and develop at their own pace starting with the upcoming exhibition games.

Holland and Klintman made encouraging impressions during the 2024 Summer League. Holland showed promising scoring prospects and defensive upside. Klintman was arguably the Pistons’ best player impacting both sides of the floor as well.

With Thompson recovering and Detroit still establishing themselves as contenders, the rookies could have a chance to earn playing time sooner rather than later. If he is not active for the preseason, look for the Pistons to play their rookies quality minutes.

Backup center minutes

If Duren fills the starting center role as projected, that means the Pistons could be playing some new players behind him. Five-year vet Isaiah Stewart announced during Media Day that he has been working a lot of time as a center. Stewart spent the majority of last season at power forward and said he’s excited to get back to the playing style of a five.

“JB loves my physicality and me playing strong down low, my offensive rebounding,” Stewart explained to the media on Monday. “I spent a lot of time this offseason at the 5 and I’m looking forward to it.”

Last season featured the likes of Marvin Bagley and James Wiseman as the reserve centers. Both players were athletic bigs with limited offensive skill sets and lacked a consistent defensive presence. Detroit now has a different look with Stewart and former Philadephia 76er Paul Reed.