For much of the season, the Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has leaned on a deep rotation, with 11 players on the roster averaging at least 16.8 minutes per game.
As Hunter Patterson of The Athletic explains, that depth is about to be put to the test with Cade Cunningham (collapsed lung) and Isaiah Stewart (calf strain) both sidelined.
“We’re so comfortable with the depth and the guys that we have, and they’ve proven they can help us,” Bickerstaff said earlier in March.
“Typically, in the past, nine is a great number (for a playoff rotation). But, shit, we’re struggling to get away from 12. Because there are so many guys that have played for us this year that have helped us win. So, there’s going to be some situational decisions.”
In those earlier remarks, Bickerstaff also highlighted Paul Reed, Marcus Sasser, and Daniss Jenkins as bench players who have stepped up when given chances in the rotation.
Patterson notes that those three, along with Kevin Huerter, have at times received DNP-CDs when the team is fully healthy, but with Cunningham and Stewart out, they’re expected to see consistent minutes.
Beyond helping Detroit stay on top of the Eastern Conference, Reed, Sasser, Jenkins, and Huerter now have an opportunity to strengthen their cases for playoff rotation spots based on their performances over the next few weeks, Patterson adds.
Pistons Notes: Depth, Cunningham, Jenkins, Sasser, More https://t.co/FQKhk5d9Hg pic.twitter.com/mWAHEPyPuW
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) March 19, 2026
