Game 1s of playoff series are usually considered "feel-out" games, where teams try different things and see which ones work against the particular opponent. The rotations are deeper, and the coaches are more likely to experiment with matchups and player usage. This was the case for the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday.
Head coach JB Bickerstaff exhumed Ron Holland and Caris LeVert for Game 1 after burying them on the bench towards the end of the series against the Magic. Holland returned to the rotation for the first time since Game 2 of the Orlando series, and LeVert saw significant action for the first time since playing five minutes in Game 6 in Orlando. While Holland gave Bickerstaff enough of a reason to keep him in the rotation on Tuesday, LeVert needs to go back to being a healthy scratch.
On paper, LeVert's minutes went well in Game 1, with the Pistons winning those nine minutes by 13 points. Yet, it's difficult to credit LeVert for Detroit's success for that stretch. The 31-year-old guard went 0/1 from the field for zero points, two rebounds, and no other stats.
Pistons Can Forget About Caris LeVert Unless They Absolutely Have To
This has been a trend for much of the regular season and the playoffs for LeVert. The veteran guard had the worst season of his career in his first year in Detroit. He was an afterthought offensively, rarely initiating offense. When he did, he wasn't creating good shots or making enough jumpers. In 85 playoff minutes this season, LeVert has a miniscule 11.8% usage rate and a horrendous 34.2% True Shooting, while having a higher turnover rate than assist rate.
It's not like LeVert adds value when he doesn't have the ball in his hands. He is an inconsistent shooter. After making 33.3% of his threes in the regular season, he is 1/6 from downtown in the playoffs. At this point, he isn't guarded out there, making things harder for his teammates.
LeVert is an improved defender compared to earlier in his career, but that hasn't been the case in these playoffs. In Game 1, he looked a step slower and underathletic against Cleveland's perimeter players.
The Pistons have enough talent on the perimeter that they don't need LeVert. Thanks to the emergence of Daniss Jenkins, he can play most of the backup guard minutes off the bench. At this point, he can do everything LeVert can do at a higher level. Barring injuries, it's hard to justify LeVert playing over the rest of the Pistons rotation, including Javonte Green and Ron Holland. Whether Bickerstaff feels the same way after Game 1 remains to be seen.
More Detroit Pistons news and rumors:
Add us as a preferred source on Google