Brandon Jennings, by turning defense into offfense, help Pistons turn their fortunes

Detroit Pistons 96, Oklahoma City Thunder 89 (overtime)

Brandon Jennings – A

Jennings was cooking, scoring 29 points to follow his 32-point outing a game ago. His body language has turned for the better, a helpful infusion of swagger for at team that had lost three straight.

Most impressively, Jennings bolstered his impressive shooting with good defense – and turned it into good offense. The Pistons’ offensive rating after Jennings’ season-high five defensive rebounds and two steals: 171.4.

Reggie Jackson – strong and long – imposed his will on a smaller Jennings at times, especially in the first half. But Jennings kept his defensive effort high, limiting Jackson in the second half, and pushing the ball back on offense whenever he could.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – D

Used his dribble to do things other than drive straight to the basket, a mark of growth. Unfortunately his bricks overwhelmed everything else tonight. He shot 3-for-10 from the field, including 1-for-6 on 3-pointers.

I’m still getting a feel for how much Stan Van Gundy’s defense asks Caldwell-Pope to help off his man, but the guard frequently drifted too far off Jeremy Lamb (24 points on 10-of-17 shooting).

Josh Smith – B-

Typical Josh Smith game in that you take the good with the bad.

He scored 18 points, hitting some key jumpers when the Pistons needed them. He also missed both his free throws, including an air ball that fell WAY short. I don’t think the attempt had enough juice to reach the net.

He wasn’t as involved in the passing game as usual, but he still had three turnovers. On the other end, he played strong defense.

Like I said, I’ll take the overall picture even though some of the scenes were underwhelming.

Greg Monroe – B+

Monroe was a two-way force, the Pistons’ offensive anchor early and a reliable defender throughout. His traditional stats – 14 points, nine rebounds and five assists – were solid, but his +30 plus-minus really shows how much his effort turned into results.

Andre Drummond – B-

The Pistons dialed back force-feeding him the ball, though the interior looks Drummond got were still pretty shaky, and he shot 4-for-11. But freed from such a heavy offensive burden, Drummond crashed the glass (15 rebounds) and defended (two blocks and a steal) better than he had.

Caron Butler – C-

Butler showed a willingness to defend inside, which led two two things – him grabbing eight defensive rebounds and him hobbling off in the second quarter while clutching his knee. He later returned, but I’m curious how his knee feels the next day, when the Pistons play the Grizzlies. Butler deserves credit for his eight rebounds, but so does the stout team defense that forced the misses. Speaking of misses, Butler missed both his shots and didn’t contribute much else offensively.

D.J. Augustin – C-

Augustin did a nice job getting around the screener in pick-and-rolls and bursting into the paint to make a play. When Augustin passed – five assists in 17 minutes, his best assist rate of the season – the results were solid. When he looked for his own shot – 0-for-3 – it didn’t go so well.

His defensive effort was there, though.

Jonas Jerebko – B-

Jerebko’s outside shot ran hot and cold, but his hustle allowed him to stay on the court long enough to shoot 5-for-10 for 12 points. By smartly playing passing lanes and diving for loose balls, he was a real spark.

Kyle Singler – D

He made his only shot in the paint, but went 1-for-5 outside it.

Stan Van Gundy – A-

Before the game, Van Gundy talked to Drummond about dialing back the center’s offensive load so he can focus on rebounding and defense. It sure paid off tonight.

I still want the Pistons to continue leaning heavily on Drummond offensively, but that experiment needn’t be pushed full throttle at all times. Van Gundy must be mindful of Drummond’s confidence, a line the coach is walking well.

This was the Pistons’ best defensive game of the season, and Van Gundy’s rotation deserves credit. He kept everyone fresh, allowing high defense energy, including from a second unit that especially impressed on that end of the floor.