The offseason is officially over, and the Detroit Pistons begin the preseason tonight

Later tonight, the Detroit Pistons will retake the court for the first time since losing to the New York Knicks in the first round of last season’s NBA playoffs (save for a short Summer League schedule), and the team will face the Memphis Grizzlies tonight on the road at 8 pm. 

So far, the word out of training camp is that the Pistons look competitive in practice and are motivated to become a mainstay in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. There are a few new faces on the bench (Caris LeVert, Duncan Robinson and Chaz Lanier) who figure to play important roles this coming season. 

Here are a couple areas that will be important to monitor as the Pistons go through the preseason docket with the Grizzlies first up.

1. Who is primarily running the second-team offense in Detroit? 

With Dennis Schroder now a member of the Sacramento Kings, the Pistons are looking for a trusted ball handler to run the second-team offense. Will Marcus Sasser grow into that secondary option for Detroit? Sasser believes so, and he’s reportedly had a productive camp, but new arrival LeVert can direct the offense as well, and Jaden Ivey has even run the show in the past. Detroit will have a couple options on who will ultimately fill that role. 

2. Which Pistons player acts as the sixth man aka first-off-the-bench this season? 

Last year, Malik Beasley was the quintessential sixth man for the Pistons, and the talented scorer finished in second place for the year-end voting associated with that award. Without Beasley as part of the program, Detroit will look in other directions to supplement its starting lineup. Ron Holland II is a second-year forward who’s drawn rave reviews out of camp and seems to have earned his teammates’ trust, so he’s an option. LeVert and Robinson are more than comfortable operating in that role as well, so it will be intriguing to see which direction Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff turns with his lineup.

Detroit Pistons Rookie Chaz Lanier ‘Really Excited’ For First Preseason Game With Family In Attendance <i>The first-year pro is looking forward to his preseason debut against Memphis on Monday</i>

3. How does Jaden Ivey look in his recovery?

Based on training camp reports, Ivey has looked springy and explosive so far, and he’s back and ready to go by all accounts after breaking his leg 30 games into the season last year. Now recovered, Ivey looks to build on the 17.6 points per game average he was clocking before the season-ending injury. Ivey is a favorite to win the starting off-ball guard role when the regular season arrives.

4. Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson offensive workload – any changes?

During a recent training camp interview, Pistons center Jalen Duren spoke about how he’s worked on his jumper this offseason and that he’s been cleared to put up more shots this year. Duren spent time working on his shot after practice this week, so look for the Pistons big man to sprinkle that into his offensive repertoire as well. As for Ausar Thompson, he was described as a “nightmare” in a positive sense when he has the ball in his hands, citing the work he’s put in to become a more productive scorer whether that comes on the break or in the half-court offense. Thompson is expected to take a considerable step forward offensively this year as well.

The Detroit Pistons will face the Memphis Grizzlies tonight at 8 pm to officially begin the preseason slate. 

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