The Detroit Pistons are only two games into their Summer League and already the hot takes are flying, many of them about second-year point guard Killian Hayes.
Hayes only played 26 games last season after injuring his hip, but already some less observant fans are calling him a bust because his 3-point shot has not yet come along.
There is a long list of guys who entered the NBA without a long-range shot, and time after time we’ve watched most of them eventually develop one. A recent example is Lonzo Ball, who came into the league with a shot that had more kinks than a cheap garden hose and has since developed into one of the better high-volume 3-point shooters in the league.
Of course, some guys never figure it out, ask Ben Simmons, who is one of the best defenders in the NBA, was Rookie of the Year, has led the league in steals, made all Defense twice, All-NBA once, is a three-time All-Star, is only 25-years-old, yet all anyone wants to talk about is how he can’t shoot 3-pointers.
I honestly think the narrative around Simmons is ridiculous, as he helps a team in myriad ways without shooting threes and is undoubtedly valuable even in the modern game.
Killian Hayes has a lot of similarities to the present-day Ben Simmons, and if that is “all” he turns out to be, I’d be completely happy with it.
Detroit Pistons: Killian Hayes is a physical player who can fill a stat sheet
When you look at Ben Simmons’ stats, it’s insane to me that Philly is trying to get rid of this guy.
He averaged 14.3 points last season while adding 7.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists and swiping 1.6 steals, so Simmons brings a lot to the table even though he can’t shoot 3-point shots.
Simmons also has plus size for a point guard at 6-foot-10 and can bully smaller defenders in the post.
While Killian Hayes is far from being Simmons, he too is a guy with great size for the position who should be able to contribute rebounds, assists and steals even if he is not knocking down shots.
The biggest difference so far is that Simmons can at least finish in the lane, which is where Killian needs to improve. Simmons shot over 55 percent last season, and if Hayes could ever get to that level, he’ll be just fine, as he averaged over five assists as a rookie and has shown he can rebound and swipe steals as well.
Hayes and Simmons have very different offensive games, but both can stuff a stat sheet without making an outside shot. Hayes’ first Summer League game is an example of the types of box scores we might see out of him, as he only had six points, but added five assists and nine rebounds.
There is also more to the game than just offense.