Rapid reaction: Detroit Pistons 116 Charlotte Hornets 110

The Detroit Pistons have officially wrapped up their preseason tonight, defeating the Charlotte Hornets despite almost relinquishing the lead late in late fourth quarter.

In a game where the second and third unit players played a majority of the minutes for the Detroit Pistons, they were able to get the job done. The Pistons were without several key players tonight due to various reasons, so Dwane Casey rolled out a unique starting lineup consisting of Tim Frazier, Bruce Brown, Tony Snell, Markieff Morris and Andre Drummond.

The combination proved to be relatively effective, as Detroit was seldom in danger of losing control of the game, despite being down 11 points at one time during the first half. Detroit continued to have the same issues they’ve had through the duration of the preseason – committing far too many turnovers and inconsistently defending pick and rolls.

As the game winded down, Charlotte made a legitimate comeback effort after being down 113-97. They proceeded to go on a quick 13-0 run, before running out of gas and eventually falling to Detroit.

Players of the game

For Charlotte – Malik Monk. He scored 18 points off of the bench, while dishing out 7 assists and committing zero turnovers, on 60 percent shooting. He was a spark that kept the Hornets in check whenever he was on the floor, and was a consistent force on both sides of the ball.

For Detroit – Tim Frazier. The presumed third man in the Pistons point guard rotation played a stellar game despite committing a couple of early turnovers. Posting 15 points and 12 assists on 62 percent shooting, Frazier showcased exactly what Pistons fans have expected from him – his tremendous court vision. This will likely boost his chances of seeing minutes once the regular season begins.

Key moment

With 9:37 remaining in the fourth quarter, Drummond bullied his way to the basket while picking up a bucket and a foul, he subsequently hit the free throw to convert the three point play. This put the Pistons ahead 95-90 and Detroit never looked back.

Nick’s notes

While I understand it’s important to have your players locked in for all 48 minutes, the comeback effort that Charlotte made near the end of the game did not bother me as much as it has others. At the end of the day, the lineup that was on the floor at the time (Jordan Bone, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, Sekou Doumbouya, Todd Withers, Donta Hall) will never see court time together.

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If it was our regular rotation players, I would be more concerned. However, as I said earlier this is was a showcase game for our young players trying to make the roster or show their skills for other franchises. To me, it will ultimately mean nothing.

As for what I did enjoy, Drummond looked fantastic. He very clearly worked on his post moves this summer, adding multiple moves to his skill set and was consistently attacking the basket. Our second and third unit players played the majority of this game, and albeit against a struggling team in the Hornets, they did what they had to do and came out with a victory.

At this point, I’m glad the preseason has ended. I’m excited to watch our team go to work this season, and hopefully see an iteration of Drummond that has not yet been unlocked. We made it folks! The regular season is just one week away.