Meet the young and improving Detroit Pistons

Center Greg Monroe averaged more than 15 points and nearly 10 rebounds per game in his second season.

Greg Monroe – Center
If you haven’t seen Monroe play on a regular basis yet, make sure to tune into some Pistons games this season. The big man is talented and getting better each season. He’s still young (won’t turn 23 until June) but he has two seasons under his belt. He’s a low-post scorer and one of the better passing big men. Once he gets more comfortable defending near the basket he’ll be an All-Star for years to come.

Brandon Knight  – Point Guard
Last season as a rookie out of Duke, Knight had a good first season. He manages the floor pretty well, though he needs to get his assists up. He’s a plus defender from the PG slot and will only get better, he’s just 20 years old as he starts his second season with Detroit.

Rodney Stuckey – Shooting Guard
Stuckey has always been most comfortable coming off screens and slashing to the basket – he’s a scorer and he can do that in this offense. He’s big enough to take advantage of smaller #2 guards in the league.

Tayshaun Prince – Small Forward
The last link to the Detroit title days, Prince is still hanging around. He still has that amazing wingspan and can get up and down the court, just not as well as he used to all the time. He’s still a very good defender and a decent rebounder for his slim build. He’ll share more time with some of the younger guys on this roster, but probably still get his 12 PPG.

Jonas Jerebko – Power Forward
There’s a lot to like about this Swede who runs and hustles and dives for everything in his direction. In addition to the energy, he has good ball-handling skills for a tall man and his offensive game is only going to improve. He could blossom into a 15 PPG guy, which would be fine with the Pistons.

Jason Maxiell – Power Forward
Entering his 8th season in the NBA, Maxiell has never developed a good enough offensive game to earn a starting nod, but he brings a defensive tenacity and shot blocking ability to the front court. He’ll split time with Jerebko and rookie Drummond.

Will Bynum – Guard
A good guy to have around, Bynum seems to have the knack for exciting performances – once scoring 26 points in a single quarter. He can also dish the ball really well, making him Knight’s main backup at the point guard spot.

Corey Maggette – Swingman
The great leaper on this team, Maggette is also good at getting to the free throw line. Coach Frank will have to create a rotation to get enough playing time for Maggette along with the other young front court players. But he was acquired to get some points off the bench and bring a strong presence to the #2 and #3 spots.

Charlie Villanueva –  Power Forward
He’s coming off a season where he was slowed by injuries, but when he’s healthy, Villanueva can score with his good jumper. He might see some of his time eaten up by the rookie Drummond.

Austin Daye  – Forward
The former Gonzaga star and 1st round pick progressed pretty well his first two seasons before regressing last year. He’ll have to prove he deserves to get the ball down low with this talented front court. Beefing up his rebounding numbers would be nice also.

Austin Drummond – Power Forward
All eyes will be on the heralded big man out of Connecticut as he enters his rookie campaign. He has the size, agility, and skills to be one of the best big men in the NBA, and if he lives up to that potential, the Pistons will have a 1-2 punch (with Monroe) that few if any teams could match.

Kyle Singler – Small Forward
Not too many people in the Pistons front office were happy that Singler spent his entire rookie season in Spain playing for Real Madrid. Most NBA draft picks returned to the NBA after the lockout ended, but Singler was a notable exception who stayed in Europe. In a strange way, it may have helped his future in the NBA. In Spain, Singler got to play a lot of minutes, he improved his outside shooting, and he faced veteran professionals. Now that he’s returning to the Pistons, he might be a good shooter off the bench for Joe Dumars & Co.