Detroit Pistons: Grading every rookie after their debut season

Detroit Pistons rookie grades: Killian Hayes

Killian Hayes’ season was pretty much ruined by a hip injury that sidelined him in just the seventh game of the season, so this grade might seem a little harsh, but I am taking the whole season into account.

Hayes played poorly before being injured but looked a lot better once he came back, and had the season been another 20 games, his grade would probably be higher.

He did end up playing in 26 games and finished averaging 6.8 points, 5.3 assists and a steal per game, not bad for a guy who had a short offseason, basically no training camp, little practice and an injury.

But he also shot 35 percent from the floor and just 27 percent from long range, which can’t be ignored. Hayes looked overwhelmed before the injury, but when he came back, started to get more comfortable running the offense.

There are plenty of reasons to be excited about Killian Hayes, particularly his passing and defense, which are ahead of schedule.

But he will have to get more aggressive shooting the ball and start to knock them down if he wants to keep defenses honest.

There was a lot to like about Hayes’ rookie season even though it didn’t go as planned. I am glad that he got back into the rotation, played much better and can go into the offseason with positivity.

He is going to make a huge leap next season and will almost average double-digits in assists. You heard it here first.