Killian Hayes has only played two games since rerunning to the Detroit Pistons from injury but there is already buzz in the fanbase and for good reason.
Hayes played just seven games before injuring his right hip and most people thought he would miss the entire rest of the season.
He didn’t play particularly well in those seven games, which had the delusional portion of the fanbase using words like “bust” which is about as dumb as it gets considering we are talking about a teenager trying to learn the NBA’s toughest position.
But it was fair to wonder what we might see when he came back, what his confidence would be like and whether he learned anything while sitting on the bench.
So far, so good, as Hayes has looked much better already and has given fans of the Detroit Pistons plenty to be excited about for the future.
Detroit Pistons: Killian Hayes could be a lockdown defender
Hayes has only scored nine points total in the first two games since his return, but his initial impact will not be as a scorer.
What Hayes has shown is that he has the potential to be a lockdown defender on the perimeter. He has plus size for the position, quick hands and good instincts, so he will be good on that end well before his offensive game comes around.
He showed it last night against the Thunder, swiping four steals and adding two blocks in just 25 minutes and generally making things miserable for OKC’s perimeter players.
Hayes is big, strong, physical and seems to actually enjoy playing defense, which is one of the reasons Troy Weaver was so high on him as a prospect.
#Pistons Dwane Casey says Killian Hayes' pick-and-roll passing was one of the big strengths that Troy Weaver identified in wanting to draft him (the other was defense).
— Rod Beard (@detnewsRodBeard) April 5, 2021
Becoming a consistent scoring threat from the point guard position takes time, but Killian Hayes could be an elite defender sooner rather than later and that is what the Detroit Pistons are building around.