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Van Gundy to experiment with Pistons big-men pairings throughout preseason

Tim Fuller / USA Today Sports

When Detroit Pistons new head coach Stan Van Gundy had Greg Monroe come off the bench for the team's preseason opener, it appeared Monroe may be the odd man out in the frontcourt when the season opens.

As it turns out, Van Gundy plans to experiment with different pairings, and Monroe will start at center on Thursday alongside Josh Smith. On Sunday, Monroe will then start at power forward, with Andre Drummond manning the pivot. The team will then have a feel for what each possible pairing can offer to the starting lineup, and what each individual can offer as a reserve.

Van Gundy also said he'll take a look at how the three play together in a small sample, a look that was largely ineffective due to spacing issues last season.

"I don't know how much, but a little bit," Van Gundy said Wednesday to Dave Mayo from MLive. "We'll have to change some things, so we need some practice time on that, but I'd like to do that a little bit."

The Pistons will also experiment with different combinations on the perimeter, but the primary focus is in the paint, given the considerable talents of all three players involved. As explained in the post below, there are enough minutes for the trio in a three-man frontcourt rotation, and there is an investment incentive to bring Monroe off the bench, if anyone's minutes have to be sacrificed.

The new bench boss was also quick to point out that your five best players may not make up your best overall unit, and so the ultimate decision is not one simply based on which individual has the best camp.

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