Pistons regular season vs. playoff statistics: Who upped their game, who fell flat?

With many of the Pistons getting their first playoff experience, it is important to see how well they handled it. Were they able to withstand the pressure? Did they up their game? Or did they crumble and hurt the Pistons? Let's look at each Piston and compare their regular season stats to their playoff stats.

Jodie Meeks

Regular Season: 3 games, 14.5 MPG, 35.0/44.4/100 shooting line, 1.7 RPG, 7.3 PPG

2016 Playoffs: 1 game, 1.7 MPG, 100/NA/NA shooting line, 2.0 PPG

This was not Meeks' first time in the playoffs, and it's really almost like he did not take part at all. With Kentavious Caldwell-Pope taking up an astounding 40.3 MPG at shooting guard, Meeks' defensive liabilities, and having been out for 79 of the last 80 regular season games, it is understandable that he did not get much run. A healthy and in-game-shape Meeks may have made a difference in this series.

Spencer Dinwiddie

Regular Season: 12 games, 13.3 MPG, 35.2/10.0/57.6 shooting line, 1.8 APG, 4.8 PPG

2016 Playoffs: 1 game, 1.7 MPG, 100/NA/NA shooting line, 1 APG, 2.0 PPG

His first time in the playoffs, Dinwiddie performed decent in his less than two minutes of game time. With Steve Blake getting most of the run at backup point guard during the season, it was highly unlikely that Dinwiddie would get much run in the playoffs.

Anthony Tolliver

Regular Season: 72 games, 38.6/36.0/61.7 shooting line, 3.2 RPG, 5.3 PPG

Playoffs: 3 games, 8.7 MPG, 50.0/0.0/NA shooting line, 1.3 RPG, 1.3 PPG

The Tolliverse appears to be no more. I am sure Tolliver will continue to have a basketball career after this season, but it's not likely with the Pistons though. Limited in playing time thanks to the interchangeability of Marcus Morris and Tobias Harris, as well as Stanley Johnson being able to play some power forward, Tolliver barely got a chance.

Steve Blake

Regular Season: 58 games, 17.0 MPG, 38.8/34.4/80.0 shooting line, 3.4 APG, 4.4 PPG

Playoffs: 4 games, 10.8 MPG, 20.0/50.0/50.0 shooting line, 2.5 APG, 1.0 PPG

Blake, or as my fiancee calls him, the FedEx Delivery Guy, was not bad in a very limited backup role. He only took five shots in the entire series, so I'm not sure I can complain about the percentages as his main goals were to get Reggie Jackson some rest and dish out assists. It has to be pondered: Could Dinwiddie have provided the same as Blake?

Reggie Bullock

Regular Season: 37 games, 11.6 MPG, 43.9/41.5/93.3 shooting line, 3.3 PPG

Playoffs: 2 games, 11.0 MPG, 83.3/66.7/NA shooting line, 1.5 APG, 6.0 PPG

What about this guy?!?! Bullock is going to make me go insane this offseason. According to basketball-reference.com, it states that his team option for next season was picked up before this season even began. And midway through the season, that was looking foolish. But now? I don't think he should supplant any of KCP, Johnson, Morris or Harris, but if he keeps this up (highly unlikely), what a steal the Pistons have and what a bench they could have next year.

Aron Baynes

Regular Season: 81 games, 15.2 MPG, 50.5/NA/76.4 shooting line, 4.7 RPG, 6.3 PPG

Playoffs: 4 games, 11.0 MPG, 44.4/NA/66.7 shooting line, 2 RPG, 2.5 PPG

It appears that Baynes finished the season the same way he started it. The fact that he also sat in the last five minutes of the game is rather concerning. Granted, he was better this year in the playoffs than he was last year, but not nearly as good as he was his first two years in the playoffs.

Stanley Johnson

Regular Season: 73 games, 23.1 MPG, 37.5/30.7/78.4 shooting line, 4.2 RPG, 8.1 PPG

Playoffs: 4 games, 20.4 MPG, 52.2/60.0/100 shooting line, 4.0 RPG, 8.0 PPG

Wow, those numbers are encouraging. The biggest thing may be that he only shot 5.8 times per game in the playoffs to the 8.2 per game in the regular season. Though +/- is a crap stat, he had the third best +/- on the team in the playoffs, and that's great considering he was guarding LeBron James much of the time.

Andre Drummond

Regular Season: 81 games, 32.9 MPG, 52.1/33.3/35.5 shooting line, 14.8 RPG, 16.2 PPG

Playoffs: 4 games, 32.9 MPG, 51.9/0.0/32.4 shooting line, 9.0 RPG, 16.8 PPG

These numbers are quite depressing when you consider that Drummond averaged 20.3 PPG and 13.7 RPG in the regular season against Cleveland. Drummond should have been able to dominate Tristan Thompson and Kevin Love on the glass. Granted, it is a bit more difficult to grab rebounds when both teams are shooting as well as the Pistons and Cavaliers did.

Marcus Morris

Regular Season: 80 games, 35.7 MPG, 43.4/36.2/74.9 shooting line, 5.1 RPG, 2.5 APG, 14.1 PPG

Playoffs: 4 games, 36.0 MPG, 46.8/38.9/87.0 shooting line, 3.3 RPG, 2.5 APG, 17.8 PPG

Stan Van Gundy, you thief! Seriously, though Morris is probably not the long term plan at small or power forward, to think that the Pistons have a guy under contract for the next three years at $5-million per, who is putting up those kinds of stats, is amazing. Hopefully, next season he can be more consistent throughout the year instead of kicking it up at the end of the season.

Reggie Jackson

Regular Season: 79 games, 30.7 MPG, 43.4/35.3/86.4 shooting line, 6.2 APG, 18.8 PPG

Playoffs: 4 games, 36.8 MPG, 45.5/16.7/100 shooting line, 9.3 APG, 14.3 PPG

Averaging 4.5 three point attempts per game, if Jackson would have maintained his three point shooting percentage from the season, the Pistons could have been tied 2-2 in the series right now. Granted, that all does not lie on Reggie, not in the slightest, but it is concerning. Also, with Kyrie Irving being a liability defensively, Jackson could have, and should have, averaged more than one free throw attempt per game in the series (or that's on the refs). But it was good to see his assists go up as they did.

Tobias Harris

Regular Season: 27 games, 33.5 MPG, 47.7/37.5/91.1 shooting line, 6.2 RPG, 2.6 APG, 16.6 PPG

Playoffs: 4 games, 39.0 MPG, 45.7/33.3/92.3 shooting line, 9.5 RPG, 3.0 APG, 14.5 PPG

I am not going to lie, but seeing tweets about his lack of efficient shooting in the series made me shocked to see these numbers. He regressed some in terms of efficient shooting, but he was still a key player in the series. Not sure his 39 MPG were warranted, but not sure the Pistons had anyone behind him that could have done a better job.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Regular Season: 76 games, 36.7 MPG, 42.0/30.9/81.1 shooting line, 3.7 RPG, 14.5 PPG

Playoffs: 4 games, 40.3 MPG, 44.0/44.4/71.4 shooting line, 4.3 RPG, 15.3 PPG

I knew he shot well and was a plus on offense, but my concern were his numbers on defense. With Kyrie Irving shooting so well, and that being Caldwell-Pope's primary defensive responsibility, I was concerned he sacrificed defense for offense. However, that does not appear to be the case, ad he had the fifth best defensive rating on the team and averaged 1.8 steals per game, best on the team. Also, you can't stop Kyrie from hitting some of the shots he hit.

***

I ordered this list in minutes played per game from lowest to highest. What is great is that much of the Pistons core for the next few years performed better in the playoffs against an elite team in front of a national viewing audience. KCP, Jackson, Morris, and Stanley Johnson all stepped up. Drummond and Harris took a minor step back, but that could all be taken care of by next year. Again, the future is bright in Detroit.