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Bullock making the most of his shot to stick with Pistons; Thomas gets his chance next

In the race to win the last Pistons roster spot, Reggie Bullock might have started at the 50-yard line but that doesn’t mean he’s about to start jogging. Twice in the first three preseason games Stan Van Gundy has given Bullock a shot to impress him, twice he’s done just that.

“There’s nothing to complain about with him in the two games that we’ve played him,” Van Gundy said after Monday’s practice.

Bullock has averaged almost 19 minutes in his two appearances and done the things Van Gundy has asked of him. It’s not a very long list – play good defense, knock down open shots and move the ball when those shots aren’t there.

“What I’ve seen from him and what gives you confidence as a coach is he goes very hard defensively, he’s pretty sound defensively and then offensively he stays within himself,” Van Gundy said. “He doesn’t try to do a lot of things he can’t do, doesn’t make many mistakes, runs your offense, moves the ball and he’s been making shots.”

The two players fighting for the same roster spot, at least from all appearances, are Adonis Thomas and Cartier Martin. Neither has played in a preseason game yet because both sustained injuries before the opener, Thomas experiencing pain in his right Achilles tendon and Martin suffering an injury to his right wrist – his shooting hand.

Thomas was back at practice Monday and Van Gundy wants to give him “significant minutes” in one of the two games at Indiana and Chicago on Tuesday and Wednesday. Martin, though, is still wearing a brace on his wrist and was shooting free throws with his left hand after practice.

If there was any question about Darrun Hilliard’s spot on the roster, Van Gundy appeared to answer it when he said he wasn’t looking to find minutes for him.

“We have a good feel for Darrun, maybe more so than the other guys,” he said. “I don’t really feel the need to get him 18 or 20 minutes in a game. We pretty much know what we have there as a staff and even as a front office. I think we’re pretty solid on what our thoughts are. Some of the other guys we need to see more to make decisions – roster, playing time, all of that stuff.”

Bullock has shot nearly 50 percent (7 of 15) and has made 5 of 12 from the 3-point line while also doing a good job of running the floor. He’s also yet to commit a turnover, an example of what Van Gundy meant by saying he “stays within himself.”

“I think I first picked it up at (North) Carolina,” said Bullock, who left Chapel Hill after his junior season and became the 25th pick, going to the Clippers. “I came there with five other McDonald’s All-Americans and every day you’re competing against a McDonald’s All-American in practice. Everybody can’t go out and get theirs. You’ve got to learn to play within the offense.”

Thomas, 22, won an invitation to training camp based on his strong season with the Grand Rapids Drive, the Pistons’ D-League affiliate, last season. He’s all but pitched a tent at the practice facility since last spring and gotten himself into terrific condition in his bid to stick.

“He’s done everything he’s supposed to have done, so (the injury’s) too bad. But it’s what it is and he’s back and we’ll give him some opportunities to play this week,” Van Gundy said. “He’s still got plenty of opportunity to show.”

Both Bullock and Thomas are capable of playing both shooting guard and small forward, Van Gundy said, though he considers Bullock a little more of the former and Thomas, because of his strength, a little better fit at the latter.