The 2026-27 NBA season kicks off with an unprecedented 3 pm tip-off between the Detroit Pistons and the Boston Celtics on Tuesday. The clash of two Eastern Conference rivals will feature plenty of newcomers and familiar faces as both teams will be trying to send a message to the rest of the league.
The best part of the game will be the fact that both teams have a clean bill of health. All the rotation players are healthy and available for the season opener on both sides. The Celtics listed only Devin Carter, who is dealing with an illness after signing a two-way contract with the team, as out for the game.
Detroit, meanwhile, listed two-way players Isaac Jones and Ugonna Onyenso as out, and Elijah Harkless as questionable. In terms of 15-man roster players, however, only Taurean Prince was listed as questionable for personal reasons. His availability will be updated before game time.
Prince was unlikely to be in the rotation to begin the season anyway. Even if he misses the game, head coach JB Bickerstaff will have some difficult rotation decisions to make. In fact, he talked about the depth on this team on Sunday, saying, "We’ve gotta make some tough decisions, but it’s an 82-game season, and we’ve proven we’re gonna give guys opportunities throughout the 82," per the Detroit Free Press' Omari Sankofa II.
What will these tough decisions look like in Game 1 of the season? Who will be in the rotation against Boston, and who will have to wait for his turn?
Starting lineup:
Cade Cunningham
Duncan Robinson
Ausar Thompson
John Collins
Jalen Duren
Things have to go poorly in the season to force Bickerstaff to change this starting lineup. It's safe to assume this will be the most-used five-man group by the Pistons all season.
Bickerstaff believes in this combination of players. The only difference is the John Collins-for-Tobias Harris swap. Given that the Pistons found immense success with this group, they should start and close most games until further notice.
Reserves who will be in the rotation:
Daniss Jenkins
Isaiah Joe
Kevin Huerter
Ron Holland
Javonte Green
Paul Reed
Bickerstaff likes to run a deep rotation. We saw plenty of games with an 11-man rotation last season. Since the Pistons are healthy and it's early in the season, we can expect the same on Tuesday.
Jenkins, Joe, Holland, and Reed are locks to be in the rotation. That makes nine. The Pistons believe in Huerter. There is a reason they gave him a lucrative new deal this summer. Unless he fails to make shots again, the veteran shooting guard will be in the rotation.
Green is a favorite of Bickerstaff. He is as reliable as they come, and he will continue to get around 15 minutes per game to provide physicality, intensity, and defensive versatility.
On the outside looking in:
Ebuka Okorie
Taurean Prince
Tolu Smith
Chaz Lanier
Okorie is a tough cut. His preseason play showed a ton of flashes and it wouldn't be surprising to see him in a regular rotation role at some point in the season. In the current team hierarchy, it's just hard to find a spot for the 19-year-old point guard.
Prince could find his way onto the rotation as well, but as things stand now, he is behind Green and Holland in the forward rotation.
Lanier and Smith will be emergency backups. Smith could get minutes at the five when there is foul trouble or injury to Duren or Reed, but he will not be a regular part of the rotation. Similarly, Lanier has to wait for an injury to Joe or Huerter to find his way onto the court for the Pistons early in the season.
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