Buy or sell? Who is trending for the Detroit Pistons?
After an exciting week of basketball Detroit Pistons stock is starting to move.
The Pistons were able to complete a thrilling 23-point comeback against the Phoenix Suns behind Jerami Grant‘s 31 points and 10 rebounds and Grant is looking like an early-season favorite to take home the Most Improved Player award.
To be honest, I woke up happier to be a Pistons’ fan than I have in a LONG time, partly because of the play of Jerami Grant, who is already a fan favorite in Detroit.
But Grant isn’t the only one giving Pistons’ fans hope, as their young guys and bench have mostly played much better over the last few games and it looks as though the Pistons may have struck gold in the draft.
Blake Griffin didn’t make this list but he played one of his better all-around games of the season, looking markedly better on defense against the Suns and pulling down 12 rebounds and adding five assists.
It would be nice add the Alpha Ginger to the “buy” group but he is not quite there yet, something the Pistons need to monitor.
Pistons’ stock is finally moving in the right direction overall, though there are some guys whose value has taken a hit.
Let’s take a look at which player’s stock is on the rise.
Detroit Pistons: Jerami Grant playing like an All-Star
Stock to buy
Jerami Grant
If you aren’t in on the Jerami Grant era yet, I don’t know what to tell you. He is in the top-five in scoring for all forwards and doing it efficiently while playing defense all over the court and being Detroit’s go-to player in the clutch.
Grant is making a leap this season and right now he is on a path to the All-Star game. It looks like the Pistons may have finally got one right in free agency, and Grant jerseys are going to be sold out before long. BUY!
Saddiq Bey
If you are like me, you went to the Pistons’ team store this morning and fretted over whether to buy a Bey or Grant jersey.
The rookie has looked like the steal of the draft so far and just keeps getting better with more minutes. Dwane Casey had the rookie on the floor in crunch time against the Suns, something that he has earned.
Coming off his 20 point game against the Bucks, Bey put in another 10 points and four rebounds, hitting two clutch shots near the end of the game.
Bey has also flashed elite defense and looks like a guy who will eventually be a lockdown defender on the wing.
I couldn’t be happier about Saddiq Bey, who would probably be a top-five pick if the draft were done again.
Delon Wright
When rookie Killian Hayes went down we wondered who was going to step up and take his minutes and so far Delon Wright has seized the moment.
He had 16 points and six assists against the Suns and his dribble penetration was a key to the comeback, as he just kept getting into the lane as the Pistons chipped away at the lead.
Wright looks like a player who will keep getting better as he gets more minutes to build his confidence.
Unfortunately, there are also some Pistons whose stock is not on the rise.
Detroit Pistons: Derrick Rose will be traded soon
Stock to sell
Jahlil Okafor
If it were 1992, Jahlil Okafor would probably be a 10-time All-Star and one of the best big men in the league. But it’s not, and his style just doesn’t fit with many modern NBA teams.
Okafor has played sparingly in the last few games and this figures to continue as long as Mason Plumlee is playing well and the Pistons try to get more minutes for Isaiah Stewart.
Okafor is one of the Pistons most likely to be traded and may find himself racking up the DNP’s soon.
Derrick Rose
Rose is on a minutes’ restriction after a minor injury and only played 19 minutes against the Suns, none of it in clutch time.
It was nice to see the Pistons get a comeback win without much from Rose, as he is currently just eating minutes and shots that ought to be going to the young guys.
The Derrick Rose era in Detroit will be over as soon as he is healthy enough to trade, which should be soon.
Sekou Doumbouya
Blake Griffin played much better against the Suns, but even when he has played poorly, Sekou Doumbouya has not been able to get off the bench.
I’m not ready to call Doumbouya a bust, it’s way too early for that, but it is disappointing that a second-year player can’t even get off the bench for a team that is trying to tank.
He must have done something wrong because Dwane Casey doesn’t seem to be interested in getting him into the games. Hopefully, as the season goes on, we’ll see more of Sekou but right now it’s time to sell his stock and do it fast.
The Detroit Pistons are feeling good after their win against the Phoenix Suns, and even with their poor record, things are looking up.