{"id":138627,"date":"2025-05-09T06:00:49","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T10:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=138627"},"modified":"2025-05-08T20:40:30","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T00:40:30","slug":"pistons-small-forward-rotation-2024-25","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/05\/09\/pistons-small-forward-rotation-2024-25\/","title":{"rendered":"How Strong Was the Pistons Small Forward Rotation In 2024-25?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Coming into the 2024\u201325 season, the small forward spot was one of the Detroit Pistons’<\/a> most intriguing areas. Ausar Thompson<\/a> made an early splash as a rookie but eventually hit a wall and was later sidelined by a blood clot. At the trade deadline last season, the Pistons added Simone Fontecchio<\/a>, who impressed with 15.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in 16 appearances, but an injury to his big toe derailed his season.<\/p>\n

During the offseason, Trajan Langdon used the fifth overall pick<\/a> to select Ron Holland<\/a>, a high-upside slasher with athleticism and defensive tools but an inconsistent jump shot. With Cade Cunningham<\/a> needing spacing, questions about how the Pistons would balance development with shooting needs naturally arose.<\/p>\n

Now, as the offseason approaches, small forward has quietly become a position of depth in Detroit. But how did each player at the position grade throughout the season?<\/p>\n

How Strong Was the Pistons Small Forward Rotation In 2024-25?<\/h2>\n

Ausar <\/span>Thompson: <\/span>The<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Two-<\/span>Way <\/span>Spark <\/span>Plug O<\/span>n <\/span>the <\/span>Wing<\/span><\/h3>\n

After missing the first 18 games of the season due to a blood clot<\/a>, Thompson spent the next stretch trying to find his rhythm. It wasn\u2019t until January 1st that he began flashing the two-way potential that made him a top-five pick. From that point forward, Thompson averaged<\/a> 10.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. His 87 steals<\/a> in that span ranked second in the league, behind only Dyson Daniels<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Shooting remains a work in progress \u2014 Thompson connected on just 22.4% of his threes, though that was an incremental improvement over the 18.6% he shot as a rookie. Still, J.B. Bickerstaff found ways to keep him effective, utilizing Thompson\u2019s ball-handling<\/a>, slashing, and defensive instincts to make an impact.<\/p>\n

This summer will be pivotal for Thompson, especially as he looks to become a more credible threat from the perimeter. If he can take that next step as a shooter, his value to the Pistons\u2019 core will grow exponentially.<\/p>\n

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

Ron Holland<\/h3>\n

Expectations were high for Holland, especially with his reputation as a high-motor wing who thrives in transition and attacks downhill. While his game was understandably raw initially, he gradually carved out a role in Bickerstaff\u2019s rotation thanks to his athleticism, two-way versatility<\/a>, and relentless energy.<\/p>\n

After the All-Star break, Holland saw an uptick in confidence and production. His defensive impact was especially evident, often drawing challenging assignments and holding his own. However, like Thompson, Holland\u2019s shooting remains a swing skill \u2014 he shot just 23.8% from three on limited attempts, and opposing defenses often sagged off him.<\/p>\n

Despite the shooting limitations, Holland showed encouraging flashes as a cutter, transition finisher, and ball-handler. The foundation is there \u2014 now it\u2019s about refining the perimeter game and controlling his emotions.<\/p>\n

Grade: C+<\/strong><\/p>\n

Simone Fontecchio<\/h3>\n

Fontecchio couldn\u2019t quite recapture the impact he had following his midseason arrival the year prior. Still recovering from offseason toe surgery<\/a>, which sidelined him from Italy\u2019s Olympic Qualifying Tournament and the Olympics, he started slowly. As the season wore on, he struggled to find his shooting rhythm, finishing the year going 40.2% from the field and just 33.5% from beyond the arc.<\/p>\n

Despite <\/span>his <\/span>shooting <\/span>slump, <\/span>Fontecchio\u2019s <\/span>movement <\/span>and <\/span>IQ <\/span>still <\/span>added <\/span>value. Detroit<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>must <\/span>now <\/span>assess <\/span>if <\/span>his <\/span>post-<\/span>trade <\/span>surge <\/span>was <\/span>a <\/span>fluke <\/span>or <\/span>a <\/span>sign <\/span>of <\/span>his <\/span>true <\/span>potential <\/span>when <\/span>healthy.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Ron Harper Jr., Cole Swider, and Bobi Klintman<\/h3>\n

Ron Harper Jr.<\/a> made his Pistons debut in the season\u2019s final game, contributing four points, seven rebounds, and two assists. While his NBA exposure was limited, he was a steady presence for the Motor City Cruise, averaging 17.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists over 23 games (22 starts). Harper Jr. showed enough flashes in the G League to potentially earn a longer look in training camp.<\/p>\n

Cole Swider<\/a> saw just two games of action, going scoreless in limited minutes. He spent most of the year with the Cruise before being dealt to the South Bay Lakers, making his stint in Detroit brief.<\/p>\n

A 2024 <\/span>draft <\/span>pick, Bobi Klintman <\/a><\/span>showed <\/span>promise <\/span>in the <\/span>Summer <\/span>League <\/span>and <\/span>with <\/span>the <\/span>Cruise, <\/span>where <\/span>he <\/span>averaged 12.2 <\/span>points, 7.1 <\/span>rebounds, <\/span>and 4.4 <\/span>assists <\/span>in 31 <\/span>games. <\/span>Despite <\/span>limited <\/span>NBA <\/span>action, <\/span>his <\/span>shooting <\/span>and <\/span>versatility <\/span>give <\/span>him <\/span>a <\/span>real <\/span>shot <\/span>at <\/span>cracking the <\/span>rotation <\/span>next <\/span>season.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

The Last Word<\/h3>\n

The <\/span>Pistons <\/span>have <\/span>built <\/span>real <\/span>depth <\/span>at <\/span>the <\/span>small <\/span>forward <\/span>position. <\/span>Thompson <\/span>and <\/span>Holland<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>showed <\/span>encouraging <\/span>signs <\/span>of <\/span>development. <\/span>Fontecchio <\/span>still <\/span>brings <\/span>value <\/span>as <\/span>a <\/span>floor <\/span>spacer <\/span>when <\/span>healthy. <\/span>Klintman <\/span>flashed <\/span>intriguing <\/span>upside <\/span>and <\/span>could <\/span>crack <\/span>the <\/span>rotation <\/span>soon. <\/span>With <\/span>talent <\/span>and <\/span>versatility <\/span>at <\/span>the <\/span>wing, <\/span>the <\/span>future <\/span>looks <\/span>promising. Detroit <\/span>now has<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>options \u2014 <\/span>and <\/span>competition \u2014 <\/span>at <\/span>a <\/span>key <\/span>spot.<\/span><\/p>\n

Featured image: \u00a9 Matt Krohn-Imagn Images<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Coming into the 2024\u201325 season, the small forward spot was one of the Detroit Pistons’ most intriguing areas. Ausar Thompson made an early splash as a rookie but eventually hit a wall and was later sidelined by a blood clot. At the trade deadline last season, the Pistons added Simone Fontecchio, who impressed with 15.4 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5168,"featured_media":138678,"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":[4704,49326,2413,49741,49172,49053],"class_list":["post-138627","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-pistons","category-nba","tag-ausar-thompson","tag-bobi-klintman","tag-cole-swider","tag-ron-harper-jr","tag-ron-holland","tag-simone-fontecchio"],"modified_by":"Kayla Fonte","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138627","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=138627"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138627\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":138680,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138627\/revisions\/138680"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/138678"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=138627"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=138627"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=138627"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}