Now that only one day remains before the Detroit Pistons will begin the regular season in an away matchup with the Chicago Bulls, it is a prudent time to revisit the team’s preseason to see what can be gleaned from the squad’s 2-2 record.

In Detroit’s preseason opener on the road, the Pistons notched a 16-point victory over the Grizzlies, and Cade Cunningham made a dazzling first impression with 20 points. After that, the Pistons stumbled in a six-point loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on the road, but Cunningham once again stole the show with a 26-point effort. From that point, Cunningham sat out the team’s third exhibition, an away game against the Cavs, and Detroit suffered an 18-point loss before the club’s All-Star rejoined the lineup for a 21-point win at home over the Wizards.

While that is just a general summary, a lot more happened in that timespan than just the production of Cunningham– though that was entertaining in its own right. Let’s take a look at the predictions we offered just before the preseason tipped off.

Prediction: Ron Holland II will emerge as the first man off the bench

During the preseason, Holland is averaging a shade under 20 minutes per night, so the second-year forward has received an extensive run on the court. Holland has been entrusted to bring the ball up the floor at times, and if that is to remain as an added element of his game then he’ll probably be playing a lot this season.

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Holland started one game during the preseason when a few other Pistons were sitting out due to injury, so it is clear that head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and the rest of Detroit’s staff trusts Holland during important moments. Since Detroit tended to bring on substitutions in bunches, it is not clear if Holland is the certifiable first man off the bench, but he’s been playing enough so far that this prediction has proven true enough so far.

Prediction: Caris LeVert will run the second unit more often than Marcus Sasser

In a few respects, the preseason did not produce enough data to have a clear feel for the result of this prediction. Both Caris LeVert and Marcus Sasser missed time during the preseason due to minor injuries, so the Pistons did not have a lot of lineups featuring either Sasser or LeVert running the point, though both did take part in doing so when they suited up.

Instead, the Pistons leaned on Daniss Jenkins to round out the squad and provide crucial minutes at both point guard and shooting guard during the preseason. Jenkins was more than effective last year with the Motor City Cruise of the G-League, and he has earned an opportunity to start the year with the Pistons.

Chaz Lanier will impress with his ability to score in bunches

Playing at least 18 minutes in all four preseason games, rookie Chaz Lanier was given ample space to show his skills during the preseason for the Pistons. In his first game playing in front of his family in Memphis, Lanier put up 11 points against the Grizzlies, which was his highest output of the preseason. After that, Lanier logged eight, two and nine points in that order during the rest of exhibition play, and the rookie showed he can already read the game at a high level. Lanier has been lauded for his off-ball movement, and he is a sharp shooter from distance, so the Tennessee product had flashes during preseason that showed he can compete at an NBA level right away.

The Detroit Pistons will open up the regular season on Wednesday, Oct. 22 with an away game against the Chicago Bulls at 8 pm.

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