Heading into the 2025-26 NBA All-Star break, the Detroit Pistons are in an excellent spot.
With a 39-13 record and a 5.5-game lead over the No. 2 seed in the East, the Pistons are a great bet to have home-court advantage until the NBA Finals. This means that they can and should use the last two months of the season to prepare for the postseason. Finding the right lineup combinations and rounding out the rotation have to be a priority for head coach J.B. Bickerstaff.
One rotation change Bickerstaff has to consider is regarding Caris LeVert. The veteran guard has been an important part of the rotation since his offseason acquisition, but his performance has raised questions about whether there might be a better alternative on the bench.
Bickerstaff trusts LeVert, giving him around 20 minutes per game all season, but it may be time for him to make a change.
Pistons Must Consider Reducing Caris LeVert's Playing Time
LeVert was a minus-19 in his 22 minutes of action against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday. Even in a game the Pistons won by six, LeVert's minutes made things difficult for Detroit down the stretch.
This has been a trend all season. The Pistons are 9.2 points per 100 possessions worse with LeVert on the floor than when he is off, per Cleaning the Glass. That is the worst on-off metric on the team as the Pistons only have a plus-1.4 net rating in LeVert's minutes.
Most of this problem comes on the offensive side of the ball. LeVert has shown significant improvement defensively and is very solid on that end. That is likely why Bickerstaff continues to trust him. Offensively, however, LeVert's shortcomings are hurting the team.
The 31-year-old is rarely involved in the offense and only has a 17.7% usage rate, his lowest mark since his rookie season. His efficiency has also taken a tumble, going from 58.2% True Shooting last season to 53.9% this season. He only takes 3.1 threes per game and makes 32.7% of them. For a team that desperately needs more shooting, that combination of volume and accuracy is unacceptable.
The Pistons already have shooting-challenged, defense-first perimeter players in Ron Holland and Ausar Thompson. They can't afford another negative offensive player in LeVert in the rotation.
Some of LeVert's minutes need to go to Kevin Huerter and Marcus Sasser. Huerter hasn't made shots since joining Detroit, but he remains a threat and provides spacing. Sasser has been in and out of the rotation all season because of the crowded backcourt in Detroit. When he has had a chance, however, he has been solid, making 40.9% of his threes and creating shots for himself and others.
Given that he is younger and has more of a future with the team, Sasser deserves more opportunities over LeVert until the playoffs.