Pistons to start Smith, Monroe and Drummond together Wednesday

One of the first things Stan Van Gundy said after taking over as the new head coach of the Detroit Pistons this summer was that frontcourt players Josh Smith, Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond probably wouldn't be deployed together much.

It was music to the ears of Pistons fans, because that trio struggled a great deal in 2013-14.

That music will stop on Wednesday, as the Pistons are set to start all three against the New York Knicks. It will mark the first time that starting unit has been used this season. While utilizing it against the Knicks makes plenty of sense - it lets Smith guard Carmelo Anthony, who is likewise stuck at the three when he's best at the four - it will be an interesting experiment.

With Smith at small forward, the spacing around Monroe and Drummond becomes corrupt, and Smith is wont to fire from outside, where he's ineffective. Smith is a better natural power forward and more effective in that role. Van Gundy said he'd likely stagger the playing time for all three to keep their minutes up, but the three-man unit's usage low.

Because Monroe missed the first two games of the season due to suspension, and came off the bench in his first game back, the trio hasn't played together yet this year. A year ago, the group was outscored by an average of seven points per 100 possessions.

Considering how badly the Pistons have played, getting outscored by 11.6 points per 100 possession through three games, and given the logical Smith-Anthony matchup, this is probably the best time to give it a look. It will also prove a nice test for Van Gundy, who is a creative offensive mind but one who prefers a well-spaced offense.

This should mean fewer minutes for Kyle Singler and the struggling Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, as Smith shifts into the wing rotation. Singler has hit enough threes early (4-of-11) to not be a complete zero, but Caldwell-Pope has struggled a great deal, shooting 11-of-41 (26.2 percent) overall and just 2-of-16 from long range.

Of course, Van Gundy may abandon the tactic when the Knicks go to their bench. If New York shifts Anthony to the four, the Pistons will probably move back to just playing two traditional frontcourt players.