{"id":138403,"date":"2025-05-08T08:00:22","date_gmt":"2025-05-08T12:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=138403"},"modified":"2025-05-08T01:07:37","modified_gmt":"2025-05-08T05:07:37","slug":"grading-pistons-shooting-guard-rotation-impact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/05\/08\/grading-pistons-shooting-guard-rotation-impact\/","title":{"rendered":"Grading the Pistons\u2019 2024-25 Shooting Guard Rotation and Impact"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Detroit Pistons<\/a> made it a priority to stabilize the shooting guard position this offseason. President Trajan Langdon reshaped the shooting guard depth chart after a 2023\u201324 season with ten players at the spot<\/a>. His goal was clear: bring consistency, veteran presence, and scoring to complement rising guard Jaden Ivey<\/a>.<\/p>\n

One of Langdon’s first moves was trading Quentin Grimes<\/a> to the Mavericks for Tim Hardaway Jr.<\/a>, a proven veteran and Dallas’ third-leading scorer. He followed that up by signing Malik Beasley<\/a> to a one-year deal<\/a>, adding another reliable perimeter threat with playoff experience. Langdon also acquired Wendell Moore Jr.<\/a> in a low-risk trade to round out the group. The Pistons’ additions create a more stable, experienced shooting guard rotation, supporting Ivey and raising the team\u2019s floor.<\/p>\n

Grading the Pistons\u2019 2024-25 Shooting Guard Rotation and Impact<\/h2>\n

Jaden Ivey: Pistons’ Shooting Guard Shines Before Injury<\/h3>\n

This <\/span>was <\/span>a <\/span>pivotal <\/span>year <\/span>for <\/span>Jaden <\/span>Ivey, <\/span>who <\/span>showed <\/span>clear <\/span>growth <\/span>and <\/span>an <\/span>improved <\/span>fit <\/span>alongside Cade Cunningham<\/a><\/span>. <\/span>After <\/span>starting last <\/span>season <\/span>on <\/span>the <\/span>bench <\/span>behind <\/span>Killian <\/span>Hayes <\/span><\/a>due <\/span>to <\/span>defensive <\/span>concerns, <\/span>Ivey <\/span>found <\/span>his <\/span>rhythm <\/span>and <\/span>looked <\/span>like <\/span>a <\/span>legitimate <\/span>Most <\/span>Improved <\/span>Player <\/span><\/a>candidate this season, <\/span>raising <\/span>his <\/span>scoring <\/span>average <\/span>from 15.4 <\/span>to 17.6 <\/span>while <\/span>improving <\/span>his <\/span>efficiency<\/span>. <\/span>He <\/span>began <\/span>carving <\/span>out <\/span>a <\/span>role <\/span>as the Pistons’<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>second <\/span>scoring <\/span>option, <\/span>including <\/span>two <\/span>clutch <\/span>game-<\/span>winners.<\/span><\/p>\n

His <\/span>momentum <\/span>was <\/span>cut <\/span>short <\/span>by <\/span>a <\/span>broken <\/span>fibula <\/span>on <\/span>January 1. <\/span>The <\/span>Pistons <\/span>went 14\u201316 <\/span>with <\/span>Ivey <\/span>and 30\u201322 <\/span>without <\/span>him, <\/span>fueling <\/span>debate <\/span>about <\/span>his <\/span>long-<\/span>term <\/span>fit. <\/span>Still, <\/span>his <\/span>leap <\/span>in <\/span>production <\/span>and <\/span>confidence <\/span>gives <\/span>Detroit <\/span>reason <\/span>for <\/span>optimism <\/span>heading <\/span>into <\/span>next <\/span>season, <\/span>where <\/span>Ivey <\/span>will <\/span>look <\/span>to <\/span>prove <\/span>his <\/span>breakout <\/span>was <\/span>no <\/span>fluke.<\/span><\/p>\n

Grade: B<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tim Hardaway Jr.<\/h3>\n

Coming from a playoff-tested team in Dallas to a rebuilding situation in Detroit raised early questions about Tim Hardaway Jr.\u2019s commitment, but those concerns quickly faded. He embraced a leadership role<\/a>, holding teammates accountable and becoming one of the locker room’s most respected voices. Appearing in 77 games\u2014second only to Jalen Duren<\/a>\u2014Hardaway started every contest and brought a steady, veteran presence to a young roster.<\/p>\n

Though his scoring dipped from previous seasons, his efficiency saw a slight uptick. While he struggled in the postseason, his impact as a stabilizing force was clear. Hardaway\u2019s future with the team is uncertain, with a crowded backcourt heading into the offseason. Still, his experience and professionalism remain valuable assets for a team trying to turn the corner.<\/p>\n

Grade: B-<\/strong><\/p>\n

Malik Beasley<\/h3>\n

Malik <\/span>Beasley <\/span>may <\/span>have <\/span>been <\/span>the <\/span>Pistons\u2019 <\/span>best <\/span>offseason <\/span>acquisition. <\/span>Signed <\/span>to <\/span>a <\/span>one-<\/span>year <\/span>prove-<\/span>it <\/span>deal, <\/span>he <\/span>quickly <\/span>became <\/span>a <\/span>key <\/span>contributor <\/span>and <\/span>emotional <\/span>spark, <\/span>bringing <\/span>production <\/span>and <\/span>confidence <\/span><\/a>to <\/span>a <\/span>young <\/span>roster. <\/span>Beasley <\/span>played <\/span>in <\/span>all 82 <\/span>games <\/span>and <\/span>raised <\/span>his <\/span>average <\/span>from 11.3 <\/span>to 16.3 <\/span>points <\/span>per <\/span>game. <\/span>His 319 <\/a><\/span>made <\/span>three-<\/span>pointers <\/span>ranked <\/span>second <\/span>in <\/span>the <\/span>league, <\/span>trailing <\/span>only Anthony Edwards<\/a><\/span>, <\/span>and <\/span>he <\/span>finished <\/span>as <\/span>the <\/span>runner-<\/span>up <\/span>for<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Sixth <\/span>Man <\/span>of <\/span>the Year<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

As <\/span>defenses <\/span>adjusted, <\/span>Beasley <\/span>was <\/span>forced <\/span>to <\/span>expand <\/span>his <\/span>offensive <\/span>game <\/span>beyond <\/span>spot-<\/span>up <\/span>shooting, <\/span>which <\/span>led <\/span>to <\/span>some <\/span>inconsistency,\u00a0<\/span>especially <\/span>in <\/span>the <\/span>playoffs, <\/span>where <\/span>he <\/span>shot <\/span>just 33% <\/span>from <\/span>three <\/span>and 37% <\/span>overall. <\/span>Still, <\/span>his <\/span>value <\/span>as <\/span>a <\/span>floor <\/span>spacer <\/span>is <\/span>undeniable. <\/span>Heading <\/span>into <\/span>the <\/span>offseason, <\/span>re-<\/span>signing <\/span>Beasley <\/span>should <\/span>be <\/span>a <\/span>top <\/span>priority <\/span><\/a>for <\/span>Detroit\u2019s <\/span>front <\/span>office.<\/span><\/p>\n

Grade: A<\/strong><\/p>\n

Wendell Moore Jr.<\/h3>\n

Wendell Moore Jr. never had much of a chance to make an actual impact in Detroit. Acquired as part of a depth move, Moore appeared in just 20 games (one start), averaging 3.2 points per game in limited minutes. With a crowded backcourt and little opportunity to crack the rotation, he struggled to find a consistent role.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, Moore was waived before the end of the season\u2014his brief stint with the Pistons was more about roster flexibility than long-term plans.<\/p>\n

Grade: D<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lindy <\/span>Waters <\/span>III & <\/span>Alondes <\/span>Williams<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Williams <\/span>saw <\/span>even <\/span>less <\/span>action, <\/span>appearing <\/span>in <\/span>just <\/span>one <\/span>game <\/span>where <\/span>he <\/span>scored <\/span>five <\/span>points <\/span>in <\/span>three <\/span>minutes <\/span>against <\/span>the <\/span>Orlando <\/span>Magic, <\/span>going <\/span>a <\/span>perfect 2-<\/span>for-2 <\/span>from <\/span>the <\/span>field. <\/span>He <\/span>was <\/span>waived <\/span>shortly <\/span>after <\/span>on <\/span>January <\/span>6th. <\/span>While <\/span>both <\/span>players <\/span>showed <\/span>flashes, <\/span>their <\/span>limited <\/span>opportunities <\/span>made <\/span>it <\/span>difficult <\/span>to <\/span>draw <\/span>any <\/span>lasting <\/span>conclusions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Grade: <\/span>INC<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Last Word<\/h3>\n

The <\/span>Pistons <\/span>focused <\/span>on <\/span>stabilizing <\/span>the <\/span>shooting <\/span>guard <\/span>position <\/span>this <\/span>season<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>While <\/span>injuries <\/span>and <\/span>roster <\/span>changes <\/span>played <\/span>a <\/span>part, <\/span>veterans <\/span>like <\/span>Malik <\/span>Beasley <\/span>and <\/span>Tim <\/span>Hardaway <\/span>Jr. <\/span>brought <\/span>valuable <\/span>experience. <\/span>Jaden <\/span>Ivey <\/span>showed <\/span>growth <\/span>before <\/span>his <\/span>injury, <\/span>offering <\/span>optimism <\/span>for <\/span>the <\/span>future. N<\/span>ot <\/span>every <\/span>move <\/span>worked <\/span>out, but <\/span>the <\/span>front <\/span>office\u2019s <\/span>aggressive <\/span>approach <\/span>sets <\/span>the <\/span>stage <\/span>for <\/span>the <\/span>next <\/span>phase <\/span>of <\/span>the Pistons’ <\/span>resurgence.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a9 Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Detroit Pistons made it a priority to stabilize the shooting guard position this offseason. President Trajan Langdon reshaped the shooting guard depth chart after a 2023\u201324 season with ten players at the spot. His goal was clear: bring consistency, veteran presence, and scoring to complement rising guard Jaden Ivey. One of Langdon’s first moves […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5168,"featured_media":138491,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,10,62],"tags":[4981,4107,49771,293,287,4690],"class_list":["post-138403","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-pistons","category-nba","tag-alondes-williams","tag-jaden-ivey","tag-lindy-waters-iii","tag-malik-beasley","tag-tim-hardaway-jr","tag-wendell-moore-jr"],"modified_by":"Jordan Pagkalinawan, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138403","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5168"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=138403"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138403\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":138492,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138403\/revisions\/138492"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/138491"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=138403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=138403"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=138403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

Lindy <\/span>Waters <\/span>III <\/span><\/a>and <\/span>Alondes <\/span>Williams <\/span><\/a>had <\/span>brief <\/span>stints <\/span>with <\/span>the <\/span>Pistons, <\/span>offering <\/span>only <\/span>small <\/span>glimpses <\/span>of <\/span>their <\/span>potential. <\/span>Waters, <\/span>acquired <\/span>alongside <\/span>Dennis <\/span>Schr\u00f6der <\/span><\/a>in <\/span>the <\/span>Jimmy <\/span>Butler <\/span><\/a>trade, <\/span>appeared <\/span>in 14 <\/span>games <\/span>and <\/span>impressed <\/span>in <\/span>limited <\/span>minutes, <\/span>shooting 39% <\/span>from <\/span>beyond <\/span>the <\/span>arc. <\/span>His <\/span>efficient <\/span>perimeter <\/span>shooting <\/span>hinted <\/span>at <\/span>value <\/span>as <\/span>a <\/span>potential <\/span>floor <\/span>spacer, <\/span>though <\/span>his <\/span>role <\/span>remained <\/span>minimal.<\/span><\/p>\n