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.
Detroit Pistons: Saddiq Bey is more than a shooter
Saddiq Bey has made headlines for the Detroit Pistons this season with his 3-point shooting.
He has already broken the Pistons’ rookie record for made 3-pointers, sits atop an elite list of rookie shooters and is closing in on the All-Time NBA record for made 3-pointers by a rookie.
Because of this, people tend to forget that Bey was viewed more as a defensive specialist coming into the league and can do a whole lot more than just shoot.
Bey didn’t shoot the ball well last night, though he did finish with 18 points, but he contributed in a variety of other ways, playing lockdown defense on the perimeter and grabbing rebounds while logging a team-high 39 minutes in the win.
So much for hitting a rookie wall.
Bey has shown himself up to the rigors of a full NBA season and is playing huge minutes for the Detroit Pistons while contributing in a number of ways other than just 3-point shooting.
The Pistons appear to have something special brewing with Killian Hayes, Saddiq Bey and last night’s player of the game, Isaiah Stewart.
Detroit Pistons: Isaiah Stewart’s big night
The Pistons were led by rookie Isaiah Stewart, who had his best night as a professional, notching 15 points while grabbing 21 rebounds and adding two blocked shots, one of which was a clutch, late game swat that essentially sealed it for the Pistons.
https://twitter.com/DetroitPistons/status/1383230779166105600
Stewart was everywhere last night, showing his ability to defend all over the floor and making his case for first-team All Rookie.
With 16 rebounds through three quarters tonight vs. OKC, Isaiah Stewart has recorded the most rebounds in a game by any rookie in the NBA this season. Stewart has secured his fifth double-double, marking the second-most double-doubles by any NBA rookie in 2020-21 (L. Ball-7).
— Pistons PR (@Pistons_PR) April 17, 2021
The Detroit Pistons have to be exited about the future, as they have three promising rookies, an improving Doumbouya, Josh Jackson who is still under-25, Hamidou Diallo who is on the rise and Frank Jackson who is having a career year and is just 22-years-old.
After a long wait, the future is finally bright in Detroit and the Pistons showed it off last night against the Thunder.