Detroit Pistons stock exchange: Post-trade deadline trends
Detroit Pistons: Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart are trending up
Both Isaiah Stewart and Saddiq Bey were featured on the Kia Rookie Ladder for the first time as a duo this season, which has to have Pistons’ fans excited.
Bey came in at #5 and Stewart cracked the list at the 10th spot, though I would bet he is higher next week. Stewart has been impressive of late, averaging 11.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game over the past week.
light. Related Story. Is Isaiah Stewart the next Bam Adebayo?
He is now leading all rookies in rebounds and blocked shots and along with Bey, is forming the foundation that the Pistons will build upon.
He also got into a scrap with former-Piston Blake Griffin which forever endeared him to Pistons’ fans. It’s been a great run for Beef Stew, who is playing like one of the best rookies from his class.
Detroit Pistons: The defense is getting better
The Pistons’ defense has steadily improved since Blake Griffin stopped playing (shocker) and is now up to 15th in the NBA overall, which is not bad considering how much the Pistons have been losing.
This is what the Pistons will build on, as their offense is terrible (more on that in a minute) and they clearly need more shooting.
But offense is much easier to come by in the NBA and if you look at the standings, all of the top teams in the win/loss column are also the top teams on defense. This is not a coincidence.
Troy Weaver has a vision for this team and it starts by having a versatile, athletic and long defensive team that can switch all over the floor. The Detroit Pistons certainly aren’t there yet, but with a solid foundation of defense, they will get there.
Unfortunately, there are more trends going down than up.