Detroit Pistons: Day After Wizards II observations

The Detroit Pistons ended the NBA preseason with a 99-96 loss at the Washington Wizards. After thinking about it overnight, here are The Day After observations on the game.

Detroit Pistons end the preseason with a 2-2 record. They split both two-game series with the Wizards and the New York Knicks.

What does it mean? Probably not too much. Last year, Detroit went 3-2 in the preseason, and proceeded to go 20-46 when the games counted.

Coach Dwane Casey did not even bother to put in Blake Griffin for the fourth quarter, even when they had rallied to tie the game with seven minutes to go. That pretty much shows you how much value he put into getting a win.

But that is not to say the game had no importance. As the last chance to get ready for the regular season, there were plenty of things to look for. After thinking about it overnight, here are the Excellent, the Good, the Not So Good and the Really Not So Good observations from the contest.

Excellent

Jerami Grant: He played better every game, which is what you are looking for from the second-highest paid player on the team. Grant led the team in points with 14 and rebounds with nine boards. He was only 4-for-14 from the field, but he was aggressive on offense. Wasn’t that his stated reason for coming here? To be a bigger part of the offense.

https://twitter.com/DetroitPistons/status/1340484347149901826

Pistons fighting spirit: It’s the last game of the exhibition season. No one cares who wins. You have been stuck in a D.C. hotel for four days. When the Wizards held a 14-point lead at halftime, it would have been easy for the Pistons to pack it in. However, they fought hard and actually tied the game with seven minutes remaining at 89-89. They even had a shot at the end to send it into overtime (more on that later). They did not pull it out, but it was good to see them try, when they really did not have to.

Good

Killian Hayes: Going up against Russell Westbrook, the rookie did not look intimidated. He scored seven points in the first quarter, even making his now patented step-back three-point shot. Westbrook still finished with a game-high +11 but he only went 4-for-10 from the field. Hayes certainly did not look overmatched going against one of the best guards in the NBA.

Josh Jackson: Guess what? Jackson has not just played good (yes, I know it is played well, but follow me), it is time to simply state he is a good player. The 6-foot-8 swingman had 13 points, eight rebounds and played well on defense. It looks like the light bulb is on bright for the former No. 4 overall selection. He will be a major contributor all season.

Svi Mykhailiuk: Our Lithuanian friend no longer has any reservation about shooting the ball. Anytime he gets it past half-court, and no one is near him, that ball is being flung toward the basket. He took 10 shots in 20 minutes, finishing with 11 points.

His willingness to fire away is not a bad thing. Unlike last year’s team, this one does not have that many pure shooters. It would not be shocking if he even started at shooting guard, although Delon Wright did not look bad in that spot on Saturday.

Not So Good

Jahlil Okafor: He had eight points and four rebounds in 20 minutes. It looks like he might have beaten out rookie Isaiah Stewart out for the backup center role. However, there were some entry passes he mishandled early on that helped the Wizards gain the momentum. He was not given an official turnover but, with his massive mitts, he needs to catch them. Detroit needs a low-post threat like Okafor, so he needs to make himself more of a target.

Mason Plumlee: The 6-11 veteran center is suppose to supply defense, but Wizards center Thomas Bryant ran rampant inside, scoring 22 points in 24 minutes. Backup center Robin Lopez also went off, scoring 13 points in 16 minutes. The interior defense for the Pistons was just awful. When you are the starting center, that needs to be tightened up.

Really Not So Good

Pistons turnovers: It is their fourth game together but Detroit looked at the start like they had just met each other. There were 15 turnovers in the first half, which fueled the Wizards 14-point halftime lead. Detroit got better in the second half, only committing five, with Hayes and Derrick Rose taking much better care of the ball. However, this can not happen in the opener at Minnesota. You start turning it over with D’Angelo Russell, Ricky Rubio and Anthony Edwards ready to pounce, the Pistons will get run out of the gym.

End of game situation: What the heck was that? After Detroit native Cassius Winston made a free throw to give the Wizards a three-point lead with 10 seconds remaining, the Pistons could have sent the game into overtime with a three-pointer.

Knowing (or maybe not) the situation, the final play was a disaster. Derrick Rose made a drive, came to a stop, and then made a bad angled pass to Hayes, who may have not been expecting it, and he missed the driving layup. Even if Hayes had made it, the Pistons still would have lost. Let’s hope coach Dwane Casey works on those end of game situations a little more in practice.

FInal observations

The fun and games are over. Coach Casey said afterward not to read anything into the rotation he used on Saturday. Right now, the Pistons are tied with the Milwaukee Bucks, Brooklyn Nets and everyone else in the standings at 0-0.

No one looked completely out of their league, which means Detroit might be deeper than last year. The journey begins on Wednesday at Minnesota, definitely a winnable game.