Detroit Pistons: 3 things to watch in crucial game against the Wizards

Detroit Pistons: The rise of Hamidou Diallo

One guy who hasn’t been struggling is Hamidou Diallo, who has been fantastic in his three games since becoming a Piston.

He has scored 19 in back-to-back games off the bench and filled up the rest of the scorecard with rebounds, assists, blocked shots and steals.

He looks like a guy who is going to command a big raise in the offseason but that’s ok, as he can absolutely be part of the Pistons’ future core.

With Josh Jackson struggling mightily, I will be interested to see what Dwane Casey does with Diallo in terms of his role and minutes.

Jackson got the start last night after catching a DNP the game before, but he might not hold onto it long if Diallo keeps playing like this.

With Diallo, Bey, Stewart and Grant, the Pistons have the foundation of a versatile and elite defense that can switch all over the floor and defend just about anyone.

The Pistons obviously still need a big injection of talent, especially on the offensive end, but Diallo gives them another guy who fits Troy Weaver’s vision for what this team is going to be.

Can he keep it up against the Wizards? Will he be inserted into the starting lineup? We’ll have to wait and see.