Pistons fall behind, comeback, fall short late in loss at Timberwolves

Detroit Pistons 91, Minnesota Timberwolves 97

Andre Drummond — D+

If you’d hoped Andre Drummond would step on the floor and be Dwight Howard this season, you’re understandably disappointed. He struggled again tonight. Couldn’t score around the basket against a the boulder known as Nik Pekovic and, again, picked up some dumb fouls that put him on the bench early in the second half. He missed 9 of 14 shots, and with a chance to keep the Pistons within striking distance in the final minute, missed three of four free throws. If this he’s the lynchpin of this team, he’s got to take a breath and play smarter.

Josh Smith — D-

Vintage Josh Smith, right? He shot too much, but took (and missed) a lot inside of the paint. He turned it over too much, but was one of the few players on this team to create shots for others, finishing with four assists. He had a nice play late when he blocked Thad Young with about three minutes to go, but followed that up with a missed 3-pointer and, after the Pistons had tied it, lost Young, who hit the dagger 3-pointer. I doubt we see Smith shooting 18-20 times once Greg Monroe returns.

Kyle Singler — D

No one on this team benefits more from Monroe’s presence than Singler. He’s been relegated to corner shooter thus far, and he’s struggled with his shot. I think he’s a better player (and not a good enough shooter) to camp out like that. He needs to be involved to get his game going, and that didn’t happen tonight.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope — C

Caldwell-Pope was better than last night, so that’s something, right? A night after shooting 3-for-17 from the field, he responded with an 11-point, 6-rebound effort. It wasn’t his best night (5-for-13 FG), but he did a little bit of everything with the rebounds, two steals and two assists. Like the rest of the team, he’s got to play better. But he wasn’t the reason they lost tonight.

Brandon Jennings — F

If you picked Jennings in the “who’s in SVG’s doghouse first” pool, congrats! He barely saw the court in the second half and didn’t look at all comfortable in the first. He’s still playing with an off/on switch as he shifts his focus from purely distributing to scoring. With the team struggling offensively, he hasn’t really looked for his shot, and I’m sure that’s a reason for his absence.

D.J. Augustin — B-

Augustin, however, has looked for his shot and been rewarded with ample playing time. He didn’t shoot it well, but he’s also been hunting for shots since he’s been the Pistons best offense so far. It’s good that he’s playing well, but it’s bad that him dribbling around for 18 seconds is considered offense.

Caron Butler — B

For a half, Butler looked like your dad trying to play basketball, but once the Pistons started creeping back late in the third quarter the switch flipped. Butler scored all 24 of his points in the second half, and was the big reason the Pistons made it a game after trailing by 19. I wouldn’t bet on him making 7-8 jumpers regularly, but it was good to see one of the wings shoot well.

Jonas Jerebko — C

Jerebko kind of just floated through the ether tonight. He made a few jumpers, but he didn’t rebound and was rarely involved in any of the Pistons pick and rolls with their second unit on the floor. Normally, he’s not a guy you want shooting a lot, but I wish he would have been a little more aggressive tonight, especially when Joel Anthony was on the floor.

Joel Anthony — D

Listen, Anthony’s role on this team is simple — block some shots, play 4-5 minutes and smile. Anthony playing 17 minutes is not a winning formula. You’re playing 4-on-5 offensively for over a quarter (!) and he makes this stagnant offense even more so. Augustin couldn’t even run a simple pick and roll with him, he had to dribble out and pass to a player on the perimeter because Anthony cannot catch nor finish. Another benefit of Monroe returning this weekend: muuuuuuch less Anthony

Stan Van Gundy — C

The offense continues to stagnate, but I think that’s more of a personnel issue than a Van Gundy issue. It’s become apparent that the Pistons’ second unit is built around Monroe, and without him they’re stuck in the mud watching Augustin do what he’s done.

I don’t think Smith’s shot selection is something SVG’s drawing up in the huddle, but with Drummond in foul trouble and Jennings avoiding shots — the offense has to run through someone. I’m sure Van Gundy is itching for the return of Cartier Martin and Monroe.

Credit him for not letting the Pistons quit when they trailed by 19 in the third quarter, and credit him for sticking with Butler after a non-existent showing in the first half. Everyone on this team needs to be better, Van Gundy included.