The Detroit Pistons debuted five different rookies this season and all of them showed promise, but they all still have a ways to go.
Killian Hayes, Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart, Saben Lee and Deividas Sirvydis have all given Pistons’ fans something to be excited about this season.
Hayes has flashed potentially elite defense and passing. Bey is one of the greatest rookie 3-point shooters of all time. Stewart might be the best defender in his rookie class and is a guy who looks like he could lead the NBA in blocked shots someday.
Lee has been in and out of the rotation but has been a productive scorer and table setter when he has gotten minutes. Even Sirvydis has flashed some potential late in the season, though he has gotten the fewest minutes of the group.
Each has a skill that is already NBA-ready but there is plenty more they need to add to their respective games.
Here is the next step in the progression of each Pistons’ rookie.
Detroit Pistons: Deividas Sirvydis needs to hit the weight room
Sirvydis has shown flashes of being a guy who could fill one of the Pistons’ biggest offseason needs, which is shooting.
The 6-foot-8 guard/wing definitely has some potential in that department, as he has the size and stroke to be able to knock them down from long range, as he has shown a few times in the brief run he’s gotten.
He has an offensive bag but right now I have no idea who he can defend in the NBA, as he is only 190 lbs., far too small to body most of the wings in the league.
Is he fast enough to stay in front of two-guards?
Sirvydis is going to need to put on some weight and strength if he has any chance to compete on the defensive end, so the next step for him is to hit the weight room and put in a full offseason of work on his body.
He has some Danilo Gallinari potential on the offensive end but needs to get stronger if he wants to be a part of the rotation next season.
Detroit Pistons: Saben Lee was better than advertised
Some people thought the Pistons were reaching when they used a second-round pick on Saben Lee and even more so when they signed him to a two-way deal.
Troy Weaver is looking pretty smart right now, as Lee has been much better than people expected.
Lee has the quickness to get into the lane and the athleticism to finish at the rim. He is also a good passer who has a knack for drawing in the defense and then dishing to a teammate.
He has all of the skills to be a quality backup point guard in the NBA, but needs to add a shot to his repertoire if he wants to raise his ceiling from “Poor Man’s Ish Smith” which is where he is right now.
Lee did shoot 36 percent from long-range this season but on a paltry number of attempts. He didn’t even shoot one per game on average, which is not going to cut it for a point guard in the NBA.
The next step for Lee is to continue to improve his range, shoot more volume from behind the arc and knock down a good percentage of them.
If he can do that, his ceiling is raised considerably, as he is already pretty good at penetrating and getting to the rim so a long-range shot would open up that game even more.
Detroit Pistons: Can Stewart be a creator off the dribble?
Isaiah Stewart has already done things this season that some critics never thought they’d see.
He has extended his range to the 3-point line and knocked down 33 percent of them on just under an attempt per game, numbers that a lot of scouts would not have predicted.
We knew Beef Stew was going to be a defense/rebound/hustle guy but an improved jump shot raises the ceiling of what he can be from role player to potential All-Star, much like we’ve seen with Bam Adebayo.
The most recent wrinkle to Beef Stew’s game has been the ability to create off the bounce, which he did a couple of times in the recent loss to the Bulls.
When the defender closed out, Stewart hit him with a pump fake, then drove to the rim for the bucket and foul.
If Stewart can start creating off the dribble, we are going to have to recalibrate what he can be as a player, as he is looking less like Ben Wallace and more like a guy who could be a force on both ends.
The next step for Stewart is to continue to improve that jump shot and to get more comfortable driving to the rim with the ball.
Detroit Pistons: Saddiq Bey needs more in his offensive bag
Two things became clear watching Saddiq Bey this season: The kid can defend and he can shoot.
We knew that coming into the season, but Bey has proven himself to be the best 3-and-D rookie in the league and one of the best rookie 3-point shooters of all time.
Teams are going to have to respect this moving forward and I expect Bey will have to work a lot harder for his shots next season.
That is why the next step for him is to add more weapons to his offensive bag. Zach Lowe predicted Bey could become a good post player, which I think is possible, as he has plus size and strength for a wing.
But he also needs to get better as as playmaker, as he is not a great passer. I would also love to see him used in the pick-and-roll more often with Killian Hayes, who already runs the play like a veteran and could use Bey to draw defenders away from the lane when he penetrates.
If Bey can add another wrinkle to his offensive game, whether it is dribble penetration to set up teammates or working out of the post, he is going to be an All-Star someday, as he is already a disruptive defender on the perimeter and one of the better volume 3-point shooters in the league.
Detroit Pistons: Killian Hayes is going to be special
Even though Killian Hayes has only been the 3rd or 4th best rookie on his own team, it doesn’t take a genius to see that this kid can be special.
Hayes is only a teenager and is playing point guard, the position with the steepest learning curve in the NBA, but he has been showing flashes of a guy who could eventually average 20 points and 10 assists in this league.
I love the way he uses his size and change of speed to get into the lane, as he seems to control the pace in a way reminiscent to Chris Paul or Steve Nash.
I am not saying he is going to be as good as either of those Hall of Famers, but his ability to control the offense is impressive for a rookie. His passes just have a little extra zip and on the other end, he has already played some lockdown defense, an area where he could be elite.
For Hayes to take the next step he has to get more consistent shooting the ball, it’s that simple. If defenders see Hayes as an equal threat to score or pass, he is going to be tough to defend, as he is already very good at keeping them confused with his change of speed.
The next step for Hayes is to knock down that little floater more consistently, as we’ve seen in the last two games. If he gets better in the lane, look out, as he is already a gifted passer and better shooting will just open up those lanes even more.
The Detroit Pistons have to be excited about what they have, especially if they can add another top-five talent in the draft.