Ready Reserves

The standings show that the Pistons have been hurt by recent injuries. The Pistons have lost five of seven since Rasheed Wallace joined Allen Iverson on the injured list. RIP Hamilton has missed four games during that stretch, three of which were Piston losses. While the Pistons clearly miss their stars, there is a definite silver lining around the cloud of losses.

In the absence of three former All Stars, several Piston role players – most notably Will Bynum, Arron Afflalo, Kwame Brown, and Walter Herrmann – have had a chance to play extended minutes. The benefits are twofold. One positive is that the players have sufficient time to get comfortable and find a rhythm on the court. As a result, the coaching staff is able to discern what each player can offer the team and determine who deserves to be a part of the playoff rotation.

Will Bynum is doing his best to turn Allen Iverson into the modern day Wally Pipp. Bynum has electrified crowds with his ability to break down defenses and get into the paint. In the month of March, Bynum has poured in 9.8 points in just 18.8 minutes per game. Bynum still needs to improve his shooting – his effective field goal percentage is just 45.5% and he has not made a three all month – but his ability to create instant offense has been a welcome contribution off the bench. The fact that he has as many steals as turnovers this month also helps matters.

Bynum has proven to be a useful backup point guard, although it remains to be seen how many minutes he would play if everyone gets healthy. Even if his minutes are cut the remainder of this season, he has an inside track at the backup point guard duties and an increased role upon the inevitable departure of Allen Iverson this offseason.

Afflalo played in 51 of the team’s first 52 games, but watched his minutes slowly dry up as the season progressed. Afflalo was squeezed from the rotation partly due to a poor January, but also in part because Michael Curry went away from the small ball lineups that allowed for a rotation with six perimeter players. In the first 12 games after the All Star break, Afflalo played just 54 minutes total.

When the injuries began to pile up, Afflalo re-entered the regular rotation. Over the past six games, he has averaged just over 30 minutes per game. In that stretch, he is averaging 10.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 2 three pointers per game with an effective field goal percentage of 56.25%. While the stats won’t blow anyone away, Afflalo’s accurate outside shooting and tough perimeter defense have been a huge plus for a team sorely lacking in those two areas.

Arron Afflalo is in a similar position to Bynum. He is clearly deserving of a spot in the rotation, but it is entirely possible his minutes will be squeezed should Michael Curry have his full contingent of players healthy. As is the case with Bynum, Afflalo should be assured of a more significant role next season.

Kwame Brown has lived up to his four-million-dollar salary with his recent play in place of Rasheed Wallace. While no one will ever confuse the two offensively, Brown has proven to be a sturdy post defender. Over the past five games the Pistons have outscored their opponents by 31 points with Brown in the game, but have been outscored by 30 with him on the bench. Brown has averaged 8.0 points 8.4 rebounds in 29.4 minutes over that stretch, despite often playing alongside rebounding machine Antonio McDyess.

For a while, Brown appeared to be the odd man out of the big man rotation. Based on his recent play, he seems to have surpassed Amir Johnson, if not Jason Maxiell, in Michael Curry’s pecking order. All three should be expected to continue to jostle for position during the remaining few weeks of the season.

During one stretch of 18 games, Walter Herrmann played 11 minutes total. Given that the Pistons have yearned for better three point shooting all season, it was inevitable that he would get another chance. Over the last month, he has gotten that chance, but has produced mixed results. Herrmann has played in 15 of the Pistons’ last 16 games. In those 15 games, he has averaged just less than 5 points per game in 14 minutes of action. He has converted 14 of 39 (35.8%) from behind the arc and 14 of 32 (43.8%) inside it.

Since Herrmann brings almost nothing to the table outside of his shooting, his mediocre efficiency will not get it done. In the last two games, Herrmann played well against the Clippers and hit a crucial three against Miami, so there may be signs of life. Herrmann needs to build on that if he hopes to continue playing. The more likely result is that Herrmann joins Ronald Dupree, Maurice Evans, Carlos Delfino, and Jarvis Hayes on the list of players who failed to secure the role of Tayshaun Prince’s backup.

While the Pistons have learned a great deal about those four players, the results have been mixed. Will Bynum and Arron Afflalo have played well, but a healthy Piston squad has a glut of guards that would limit potential playing time for either. Brown and Herrmann had a better chance to secure additional minutes, but the play of each has been up and down.

At the very least, the Pistons’ role players have used the injuries to the stars to gain game experience and prepare themselves for the playoffs. While it was important for the role players to gain experience, the ultimate goal is to win the games. For that to happen, the Pistons need their stars healthy and their lesser players to continue to produce, but to do so in lesser roles and fewer minutes. The reserves have proven their worth as complimentary pieces. The losses are mounting based on a lack of stars for them compliment.