Pistons' Van Gundy doesn't foresee return of Smith-Monroe-Drummond frontcourt
Detroit Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy saw what just about everybody else saw last season: the frontcourt combination of Josh Smith, Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond simply does not work.
As a result, Van Gundy admitted that one of Smith or Monroe will likely come off the bench in an effort to break up the trio.
"What I don't think will happen is it'll be our primary lineup," Van Gundy told the Detroit News. " ... Maybe what emerges is those three guys start at 3-4-5. I don't anticipate that would be the case but even if they do, that won't be the lineup that gets the most minutes. It can be effective against some teams and some lineups."
The problem with starting all three is that there simply isn't enough benefit by way of talent to counterbalance the loss of perimeter defense and floor-spacing. Although all three players are talented, the trio was outscored by an average of seven points per 100 possessions while they shared the court last season. Predictably, they out-rebounded opponents but posted below-average contributions in just about every other statistical category.
Out of the three, Drummond is best suited to play center, so it appears his spot in the starting lineup is safe. That leaves one of Smith or Monroe stuck on the bench.
Smith is an interesting choice. He's the superior defender as compared to Monroe, but also has a penchant for making poor decisions on offense. For example, Smith launched the second-most three-pointers on the Pistons last season despite connecting on just 26.4 percent of his tries. However, he is a dynamic post-up player, a good ball-handler and a creative passer for his position.
Monroe, however, also has a case for the starting spot. Monroe is also a strong post player and his mid-range game is a nice complement to Drummond's pick-and-roll style of attack. It's also worth noting that Monroe is on a qualifying offer this season, meaning he's looking to post an excellent season in advance of free agency next summer.
Van Gundy, for his part, will prioritize defense and rebounding over offense.
"I've said to guys already, our defense and rebounding will have to carry us early in the year until I get it figured out," Van Gundy said.