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Top 5 Detroit Pistons’ Storylines To Follow During Preseason

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Top 5 Detroit Pistons' Storylines To Follow During Preseason

SVG
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The Detroit Pistons kicked off the Stan Van Gundy era with a win in their preseason opener over the Chicago Bulls. There are plenty of storylines to follow during this preseason and starting positions are up for grabs. Here are the top five storylines to keep an eye on.

No. 5: Will KCP Come Off The Bench?

KCP
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No. 5: Will KCP Come Off The Bench?

KCP
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In the first preseason game, SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope came off the bench behind SG Jodie Meeks. Stan Van Gundy said to not look much into the preseason lineups, as he'll merely be experimenting with different combinations. But considering the Pistons gave Meeks a lot of money this past summer, it's a strong possibility that Caldwell-Pope will be a part of the second unit. And that's not necessarily a bad thing, either.

No. 4: Can Brandon Jennings Show Progress?

BRANDON JENNINGS
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No. 4: Can Brandon Jennings Show Progress?

BRANDON JENNINGS
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By all accounts, PG Brandon Jennings has had a very strong training camp and he carried that over into the first preseason game, dishing out six assists in the first quarter. Van Gundy has pushed Jennings to not only become a more balanced point guard, but to know how to defend his position too. Jennings showed signs of that against the Bulls, displaying defensive resistance that wasn't seen all last year.

No. 3: The Josh Smith Experiment

JOSH SMITH
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No. 3: The Josh Smith Experiment

JOSH SMITH
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The Josh Smith experiment failed last year, but that was with him playing out of position. This year, SVG will use him primarily as a PF, but the question is, alongside who? In the first preseason game, Smith started with Andre Drummond. In the second game, he's going to start along with Greg Monroe. Again, SVG said to not look much into the preseason rotations, but you have to wonder which big man (Drummond, Monroe) Smith will mainly play with.

No. 2: Andre Drummond's Growth

ANDRE DRUMMOND
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No. 2: Andre Drummond's Growth

ANDRE DRUMMOND
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After the preseason opener, Van Gundy was particularly hard on Andre Drummond's play. He didn't defend or rebound the way he's capable of, and even though the Pistons won, it's expected Drummond plays to his potential at all times. That's going to be the most refreshing thing about having a coach that will always push his players, even if things are going well. If Van Gundy can get the most out of him, Detroit has a chance to be sneaky good.

No. 1: Stan Van Gundy's Command

STAN VAN GUNDY
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No. 1: Stan Van Gundy's Command

STAN VAN GUNDY
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It's going to be interesting to see how Stan Van Gundy coaches and how his players respond to him during this preseason. Van Gundy brings instant credibility and respect, and you can already tell the players are responding. During timeouts in the opener, Van Gundy had everyone's attention. There was no dreaming into the crowd or looking up at the scoreboard like in previous years. Van Gundy is slowly changing the culture in Motown.

Fuad Shalhout is a Detroit Pistons writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google. 

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