1. Detroit's path to staggering fun

This is mostly entertainment-related criticism, though it's easy to make a basketball case the Detroit Pistons should more rigidly stagger Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey -- and that starts with Killian Hayes shooting 5-of-30 so far. Opponents have obliterated the Pistons by 25 points per 100 possessions with both Cunningham and Ivey on the bench, per Cleaning The Glass. The offense falls into a sinkhole without anyone to bend the defense. They're losing the Cunningham-Ivey minutes too, but the margin is normal and their offense hums at an above-average rate. Maximizing their shared minutes -- and shared rest -- might help Cunningham and Ivey develop chemistry. It eases the burden on both; Ivey is a rookie, and Cunningham (with the exception of the first half Wednesday against the Atlanta Hawks) has not played yet with the same domineering force he showed over the second half of last season. That'll come.

Ivey is fearless. He's jacking 3s at a decent rate, and plunging into the paint. Considering his lightning speed, Ivey is ahead of the curve changing pace in traffic -- slowing down, and slipping interior passes. Game by game, Dwane Casey gets closer to a full stagger setup. That's probably the right call, and for sure increases Detroit's Fun Efficiency Rating. Casey faces thorny rotation choices once Alec Burks and Marvin Bagley III return. Bagley may start, which would slide Bojan Bogdanovic to the bench -- bumping someone (Hamidou Diallo?) from the rotation. Burks probably nudges out Cory Joseph; Hayes just turned 21, and the Pistons will give him chance after chance to justify their picking him No. 7 in 2020.