We’ve talked a lot about player development for the Detroit Pistons, what guys like Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson, Jalen Duren and Ron Holland II need to do to take the next step as players.
Cunningham seems most likely to make that jump and I recently wrote about it reasons why he will be an All-Star next season.
Related Article. The 5 Most Important Positional Battles for the Pistons Next Season. The 5 Most Important Positional Battles for the Pistons Next Season.
But the Pistons also have a few under-the-radar players who are ready to make big breakthroughs, players who could become great. X-Factors in Improving Pistons next season.
We got a glimpse of what Fontecchio can do for the Pistons in his 16 games with Detroit last season, as he scored over 15 points per game and shot nearly 43 percent from long range.
Not only did he play more minutes with the Pistons, he also had more opportunities than he did with the Jazz. Consider that Fontecchio was only 8th in minutes with the Jazz and 4th with the Pistons. He went from 8th in field goal attempts with the Jazz to 4th in Detroit, getting nearly five more attempts per game.
Those numbers may not stay at those heights, but Fontecchio will be one of the first players off the bench for Detroit, should get plenty of minutes and shots and could double his points-per-game total with that increased role.
Fontecchio scored just over six goals per game in his first season, averaged over 10 per game last season and could see that number rise to closer to 15-16 per game next season. If he scores more than that, he will put himself in contention for the Most Improved Player award.
Reed set personal bests in every area last season, including games played and minutes.
He averaged 7.3 points, six rebounds, 1.3 assists and one block per game, which seem like unremarkable numbers until you consider he only played 19.4 minutes on average.
He’s no longer in Joel Embiid’s shadow and should have a bigger role on a team with little depth at big man behind Jalen Duren. Reed will have chances to play as a backup center and power forward at times and should get more playing time.
Reed is racking up steals, blocks and rebounds at a high rate, so give him five more minutes per game and we could see a guy averaging close to a double-double with more than a block and a steal.
The focus will remain on the Pistons’ young core, but both players are primed to have breakout seasons in bigger roles.
