Two starters for the Detroit Pistons won’t be able to participate in their season opening on Oct. 25 against the Miami Heat.
Bojan Bogdanovic, a veteran forward, and Monte Morris, a veteran guard, will both be sitting this one out.
When healthy, Bogdanovic was one of the Pistons’ top performers in his 59 games last season.
The 34-year-old scored 21.6 points per game while dishing out 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists on 48.8 percent shooting from the field and 41.1 percent from deep in 2022-23.
Since Bogdanovic won’t be able to play, it’s probable that the likes of Ausar Thompson, Alec Burks, and Jaden Ivey may get more minutes. It’s still unknown how Pistons head coach Monty Williams will adjust his rotation.
Morris was a free agent acquisition for the Pistons. The veteran point guard provides depth behind Cade Cunningham, who was injured for the bulk of the 2022-23 season.
The Pistons have some versatility at the guard positions thanks to players like Ivey and previous lottery pick Killian Hayes.
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Only Ivey (16.3) scored in double figures for the Pistons, after Cunningham (12 games played) and Bogdanovic (15.9 ppg).
Even if Thompson, the No. 5 choice in the 2023 NBA Draft, has the potential to make up for this, it may be too much to expect the rookie to score as many points as Bogdanovic did on Wednesday.
The 2023-24 NBA season is about to begin, and the Heat would love to get off to a winning start. Despite losing Max Strus and Gabe Vincent from its starting lineup, the squad is still expected to compete for an Eastern Conference title this year.
Two of the three meetings between the Heat and Pistons during the 2022-23 season were decided by the Heat. Miami won the last two encounters of the season, despite the Pistons’ earlier victory (Dec. 6).
Who leads the Pistons in the first game will be worth watching.