Detroit Pistons: 3 takeaways from crucial loss to the Magic
The Detroit Pistons lost to the Orlando Magic in a game that should have the NBA questioning whether their new anti-tank measures are really working.
The teams sat a combined 16 players in last night’s game, and though some of them were legitimate injuries, others were “injuries” that kept key players out in a game both teams were trying to lose.
The Pistons are now alone with the second-worst record in the NBA, three games ahead of league-worst Houston, a game behind the Timberwolves and two games between the Thunder and Magic, who are now tied for the fourth-worst record.
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The bottom three teams all have the same odds at a top-four or number one pick, so the Pistons just need to stay where they are to maximize their odds.
This Pistons cut down their turnovers in this one but were undone by another low-scoring quarter, which has been a consistent problem this season.
Detroit will score 37 points in one quarter but 18 in the next, which is something they will have to address moving forward.
Here are three takeaways from the tankiest tank loss of the season.
Detroit Pistons: Dwane Casey was not happy
One person who is not tanking is Dwane Casey, who is coaching his butt off even though his team is in last place in the Eastern Conference.
Casey’s team has played hard all season, has not laid down and nearly every player has improved, which is all you can ask for in a rebuilding year that was written off to the tank.
Casey was not happy with his young player’s effort and he let them know it after the game:
"“I guess young guys think that you don’t have to come out and compete every night, we’re not talented enough across the board to not come out and play hard.”"
I love this, as Casey is trying to stop his young guys from developing bad habits even though they are losing most games.
The last thing the Detroit Pistons want is for their young players to get complacent with losing and Casey is reminding them that they need to play hard in every game, even ones they aren’t really trying to win
Casey has been great this season and deserves a lot of credit for the way this team has played even though the losses are piling up.