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3 takeaways from the Detroit Pistons 125-113 loss to Toronto Raptors

By Richard Davisson

TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 30: Pascal Siakam #43 of the Toronto Raptors dribbles the ball as Andre Drummond #0 and Langston Galloway #9 of the Detroit Pistons defend during the second half of an NBA game at Scotiabank Arena on October 30, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 30: Pascal Siakam #43 of the Toronto Raptors dribbles the ball as Andre Drummond #0 and Langston Galloway #9 of the Detroit Pistons defend during the second half of an NBA game at Scotiabank Arena on October 30, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ON – OCTOBER 30: Bruce Brown #6 of the Detroit Pistons shoots the ball as Kyle Lowry #7 and Marc Gasol #33 of the Toronto Raptors defend during the first half of an NBA game at Scotiabank Arena on October 30, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – OCTOBER 30: Bruce Brown #6 of the Detroit Pistons shoots the ball as Kyle Lowry #7 and Marc Gasol #33 of the Toronto Raptors defend during the first half of an NBA game at Scotiabank Arena on October 30, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /

2. Luke Kennard and Bruce Brown struggled

Dwane Casey couldn’t have been happy with what he saw out of Kennard and Brown against the Raptors as both were stifled by Toronto’s active defenders. Kennard tried to force shots during his first stint in the game to initiate the offense, but with shots not falling, he quickly lost confidence.

The Raptors successfully corralled him, knowing that they didn’t have to worry about Frazier or Snell. In scoring a total of three points in 27 minutes of play, this was a game to forget for Kennard.

Similarly, Brown struggled on the offensive end of the floor garnering only one point. He struggled to finish at the rim and didn’t take a three point shot after making three of them against the Pacers on Monday. While Brown is not notorious for his scoring, the fact that he only contributed one free throw on the offensive end makes life more difficult for his teammates.

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During a stint in the third quarter, Brown operated as the point guard but couldn’t find any of the magic he showed during summer league. He struggled to find open shooters and score out of the pick-and-roll. The defending champions, sans Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green, caused problems for him all night leading to four Brown turnovers.

While Brown’s strengths remain more on the defensive side of the floor, it didn’t matter in this matchup. With Kennard and Brown swapping roles to try to add more offensive firepower to the starting unit, Casey found both shooting guard providing nothing against his former team. Casey can only hope that the performance he saw from these two in this game was an aberration and that they’ll be able to stay afloat until reinforcements arrive, otherwise the Pistons could find themselves having to dig themselves out of a big hole.

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