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It didn’t take Kyle Singler very long to prove he was a bonafide NBA player and that he could start for the Detroit Pistons as a rookie.
Ironically, Singler may have to prove himself all over again.
Last season, Singler saw action in all 82 Pistons contests and started 74, averaging 28 minutes a game. He had respectable averages of 8.8 points and 4.9 rebounds a game. He didn’t shoot too poorly, 42.8 percent from the floor and 35 percent in 3-pointers, either. He was a solid 80.6 percent from the free-throw stripe.
But Singler is on a much better Pistons team with the addition of players like Brandon Jennings and Josh Smith. He’s probably going to have to fight for playing time a lot more than he did a year ago. He also needs to pick up his scoring and rebounding averages to some extent.
A lot will depend on how many true guards, two or three, that new coach Maurice Cheeks wants to use at a particular time. Former coach Lawrence Frank favored Singler with the type of attack he wanted to run.
Singler brings the Pistons consistency on the court. He averaged only 1.2 turnovers a game and could be relied upon to give Detroit steady contributions. He’s not going to turn the team on fire like Jennings or Smith, but he will make sure when he gets the ball in his hands that good things happen. Singler may not start as many games as he did all of last season. But he’s likely to see just as many minutes as he did a year ago.
