3 takeaways from the Detroit Pistons 109-105 win over Cleveland

Value of adding of adding Markieff Morris and (possibly) Christian Wood

As the season came to a close last year and the Pistons entered the playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks, the workload continued to pile up for Blake Griffin. He broke down and got hurt. Although it was just a preseason game, tonight gave Detroit a glimpse into what it might see the Pistons do more often this season, which is control Griffin’s workload and rest him completely on nights like Friday.

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That’s where signing players like Markieff Morris really begins to show its value, as his performance  wasn’t great – only adding five points and one rebound – but he still gave 20 solid minutes at only a minus-3 plus/minus rating, showing he can somewhat fill that role.

This also allows Maker to stay fresh when he comes off the bench to contribute so he can give his all like he did Friday with a plus-20 plus/minus rating.

Having multiple big men that are competent can really lessen the load on Griffin this year and help with his health in longevity. With each preseason game going by, Wood has continued to make a very strong case for his spot on this team’s roster.

He showed in the fourth quarter why he can be such a nice piece for this team to have through the season. He had three buckets in the fourth during the comeback along with setting beautiful picks for players like Brown and still giving his all on the defensive end.

I understand the allure of the veteran and “clutch” player in Joe Johnson, but I truly hope if it comes down to him and Wood at the end of the preseason, that the Pistons go with Wood.