The injury bug hit the NBA early this season. A lot of teams around the league are dealing with injuries to key players. The Detroit Pistons are one of them and will be without Jalen Duren for at least the next two weeks. In his absence, the Pistons' depth is getting tested, and this has helped make it clear that one backup clearly doesn't belong on the roster.
As the Pistons suffered their first loss of the season at the hands of the New York Knicks on Tuesday, it became clear that Tolu Smith doesn't have head coach JB Bickerstaff's trust.
Tolu Smith's inability to step up in a time of desperate need is a problem
Smith is the third-string center on this team. One would assume that the third-string center would get significant minutes in a game when the starting center isn't available. This wasn't the case. Smith only played for two minutes in the first half. Bickerstaff went with John Collins at center whenever Paul Reed was off the bench.
To make matters worse, Reed got into foul trouble, having to play a lot of the second half with five fouls. Even then, Smith was an afterthought. The third-year player played another four minutes in the second half.
The problem is that you can't even blame Bickerstaff for not trusting Smith. In his six minutes, the Pistons were outscored by a whopping 18 points. He finished the game 0/1 from the field, 1/4 from the free-throw line, one point, four rebounds, one turnover, and four personal fouls. He kept sending the Knicks to the free-throw line by committing asinine fouls on rebounds or screening action.
Smith looked like he didn't belong on the court against a very good team. For a 26-year-old player who has been with the organization for three seasons, that is not good enough. If your third-string center can't see the court in a game when your starting center is out and his backup is in foul trouble, then he probably shouldn't be taking up a roster spot.
Last season, the Pistons had Isaiah Stewart, which meant that Reed was the third-string center. Of course, he is clearly overqualified for that role. You can't expect to have a player that good as your third-stringer. But there is a middle ground between what Reed was giving the Pistons last season and what Smith is this season.
The NBA season is a grueling, 82-game marathon. Every player gets a chance, especially for a head coach like Bickerstaff, who likes to deploy deep rotations. So, every player on the roster has to be ready to contribute. When one isn't, then it might be time for the front office to reconsider some roster decisions.
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