Pistons struggling on offense with frontcourt trio, with no obvious solution
Stan Van Gundy doesn't have many options.
With a paucity of healthy and productive wing players, the new Detroit Pistons head coach has been forced into using a starting lineup of Josh Smith, Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond - a lineup he seemed set to avoid when he took the job in the offseason. While it wasn't part of the plan, the team seems at a loss for alternatives.
"What I don't think will happen is it'll be our primary lineup," Van Gundy told the Detroit News back in September.
A stress reaction in Jodie Meeks's back has sidelined him all season so far, and his absence has had a trickle-down effect on the rotation. Caron Butler and Kyle Singler have to play more and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has carte blanche to take all of the shots he can handle, but the team's depth is in the post.
That means Smith has started at small forward 10 times alongside Monroe and Drummond. That look has killed the team's spacing, with three non-shooters who are better off playing inside. Not only has it hurt the team's ability to get off 3-point shots, the lack of room to operate has rendered each ineffective at scoring.
"It tells you where we are when two of your frontline guys shoot 40 percent, we call it an 'offensive rhythm,'" Van Gundy said after the Pistons fell to 3-10 on Friday. "They played well; we're just having so much trouble getting the ball in the basket."
The head coach isn't exaggerating - the Pistons rank 27th in team offense and 29th in field goal percentage. While their starting frontcourt trio are their best three players, Smith and Drummond have struggled.
| Pistons Trio | Smith | Monroe | Drummond |
|---|---|---|---|
| Career FG% | 45.7% | 50.7% | 59.7% |
| 14-15 FG% | 37.4% | 48.6% | 39.7% |
| Career Pts/36 | 16.2 | 16.1 | 14.3 |
| 14-15 Pts/36 | 13.9 | 17.5 | 11.0 |
| Career Rbs/36 | 8.3 | 10.4 | 14.3 |
| 14-15 Rbs/36 | 7.6 | 11.8 | 14.7 |
| Career PER | 17.8 | 19.3 | 21.4 |
| 14-15 PER | 12.0 | 19.5 | 11.5 |
Even with all of the warts that lineup brings, the Pistons have been slightly better off in the 116 minutes they've played together. That look is getting outscored by 4.4 points per-100 possessions, but all other lineups are being outscored by 6.4 points per-100 possessions.
There isn't a clear solution until Meeks returns - probably not for another month or so - which will allow Van Gundy to play some smaller lineups with more confidence.
For now, they shoot close to the basket but in heavy traffic. Smith takes nearly 30 percent of his shots with a defender within two feet of him, Monroe nearly half of his shots, and Drummond more than half. The team as a whole takes 26.9 percent of their attempts against very tight defense.
The league's three best offenses - Dallas, Toronto and Portland - all take fewer than 20 percent of their attempts against defenders that close. Those teams also have 3-point threats, meaning teams can't freely pack the paint like the Atlanta Hawks did against Detroit on Friday.
(Courtesy: NBA.com)
For now, Van Gundy is left to stagger playing time, try to get the most out of the wings on the roster and just keep experimenting with different ways to get the ball inside without attracting multiple defenders with it.