The Detroit Pistons beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, which is not a big deal. The Thunder are young, bad and have now lost nine-in-a-row, so beating them is no great feat.
But what has Pistons’ fans excited is the way that Detroit did it.
The Detroit Pistons started three rookies and 20-year-old Sekou Doumbouya against Oklahoma, showcasing their bevy of young and promising talent.
Saddiq Bey had another nice game as he continues his run at the top-five of the Rookie of the Year voting.
Killian Hayes had another solid all-around game, and Isaiah Stewart has Pistons’ fans ready to run through a wall.
If you are into rebuilding teams with promising futures, then now is a great time to be a fan of the Detroit Pistons.
Here are three takeaways from last night’s win over the Thunder.
Detroit Pistons: Killian Hayes’ passing and defense are special
Two things haves stood out since Killian Hayes made his return from injury: the first is that this kid can pass. His passes have had some extra zip on them and he has amazing court vision and awareness to find teammates with passes a lot of players wouldn’t even attempt.
This dime had the attention of most of the NBA world last night:
https://twitter.com/DetroitPistons/status/1383220843518390279
His passing has been excellent and when his teammates start knocking down more of the shots he sets up, Hayes is going to be among the league leaders in assists someday.
The second thing that has stood out is his defense. Hayes has been smothering on the perimeter at times, has shown quick hands and has been getting a lot of deflections and steals.
He added another five swipes last night, and even though it was against a bad team, fans have to be excited about what they’ve seen from Killian Hayes.
Kevin O’ Connor from The Ringer agrees, as he called Hayes the best prospect in the draft and stands by it.
Please don’t, because he’s going to be in this league for a long time. But I’ll never forget the people calling him an absolute bust after his first seven games even though he was hurt.
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) April 17, 2021
Woah, national media defending the Detroit Pistons? It’s been awhile.
It’s about to be really good to be a Pistons’ fan again, and for those of us who have been here all along, we are more than ready.