The Detroit Pistons signed free agent Kelly Olynyk, which should be a big help in the development of Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes.
I thought the Olynyk signing was a great move, as they were able to upgrade from Mason Plumlee, add shooting and do it without spending a ton of money.
Olynyk is the type of player the Pistons lacked last season, as he is a big who can stretch the floor and knock down 3-point shots, something Plumlee could not do.
The Pistons now have the future superstar in Cade Cunningham, and a nice combination of high-upside young guys in Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart and Killian Hayes and two talented veterans in Jerami Grant and Kelly Olynyk.
The Detroit Pistons are ready to compete for a playoff spot now, and set up to add a star next offseason and get in the mix for real.
I also think Kelly Olynyk is going to help young point guards Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes reach their full potential.
Detroit Pistons: Kelly Olynyk provides a big target for Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes
Both Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes are excellent passers who now have a 6-foot-11 target to find on the perimeter and in the post.
Hayes showcased his passing down the stretch, averaging more than five assists per game, but even more importantly he was getting 10.5 potential assists per game.
With few shooters to take advantage of his passing, Killian often set his teammates up for good looks that they didn’t knock down.
Same for Cade Cunningham, who was surrounded by bricklayers at OSU. It got so bad that there is an entire Reddit thread dedicated to his potential assists.
Olynyk will be able to take advantage of these guards’ ability to get into the lane and set up teammates, something that is going to raise both of their assist averages and turn some of those “potential” assists into real ones.
Detroit Pistons: Kelly Olynyk is going to create space for Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes to go to work
When you have two ball handling guards who both like to beat defenders with dribble penetration, then having a guy who can draw defenders away from them is a must.
Plumlee was a good passer for the Pistons, but he mostly just stood at the top of the key or in the paint, hogging up a ton of space that could have been utilized by Killian Hayes.
Plumlee’s defenders were able to stay at home in the lane and provide backup if Hayes beat his man off the dribble.
Olynyk is going to draw centers away from the paint, as he can shoot the 3-ball and has to be accounted for, unlike Plumlee who any team would gladly let fire away from anywhere on the floor.
If teams want to double team Cade Cunningham, then Olynyk is another guy who can make them pay for it.
He’s going to make it easier for Cunningham and Hayes to get into the lane and finish by taking some of the rim protectors away from their favorite spots.
The floor should be much more open and teams will have to respect the Pistons’ 3-point shooting, which wasn’t true last season.
Detroit Pistons: Kelly Olynyk is going to be great in the pick-and-roll with Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes
The Detroit Pistons have two guards who are very good at running the pick-and-roll and Olynyk is only going to make them better.
Olynyk was 33rd in the NBA in points scored off the roll, and he had less frequency than any player ahead of him on the list. This also doesn’t take into account him popping out for 3-point shots.
Hayes and Cunningham are both very good at drawing in the defender and waiting until the last second to make their decision. Olynyk is going to make this very tough on defenses as they are going to have to either go over screens to stop his 3-point shooting, which will open up penetration for the guards, or go under them, which will leave him open for 3-point shots.
If the defense switches, there are going to be mismatches, as most guards can’t block a 6-foot-11 guy’s shot and most bigs can’t stay in front of Hayes or Cunningham.
Having a guy like Olynyk is going to make things easier for Cunningham and Hayes, who will have better targets, more space to operate and a real pick-and-roll threat to to work with.