3 takeaways from the Detroit Pistons 119-107 loss to the Chicago Bulls

Tim Frazier closing over Bruce Brown

It came as a surprise to fans watching tonight’s game when in the closing minutes of a winnable match up, Dwane Casey elected to let Frazier play out the closing minutes of the game instead of who usually does – Brown. Why was that?

It may come down to the fact that in 33 minutes played, Brown committed four turnovers and in 28 minutes Frazier only committed one. Frazier also ended with the better stat line at 13 points and 9 assists, so it very well could have been Casey’s way of rewarding him with a performance that we haven’t seen from him in awhile.

It didn’t feel entirely optimal. Though admittedly, Frazier did a solid job keeping Detroit alive in the third quarter, especially as someone who isn’t known as a shot creator. He did a nice job getting to the basket on his own and creating looks for himself.

If it truly was just Casey’s way of showing Frazier his appreciation for his impact tonight, that’s fair enough.

However if it wasn’t and Casey was rolling the dice, that’s where some people may begin to take issue. Brown is Detroit’s best on-ball defender. When players like Coby White and Zach LaVine are giving you trouble all night, it’s likely going to be in your best interest to keep Brown on them.

This Pistons team is in a hole that is likely going to become too overwhelming to climb out of.