Detroit Pistons: Killian Hayes’ shooting struggles would inevitably take the ball out of Cunningham’s hands
Hayes was an abysmal three-point shooter last season. On 2.8 attempts per game, the 20-year-old only managed to sink 27.8 percent of his shots from beyond the arc. That percentage was second-worst on the roster for any player who attempted one or more threes per game.
Heading into the offseason, shooting was the obvious area of his game Hayes needed to work on developing. If the pairing of Cunningham and Hayes were to work efficiently, both players would need to be at least average at off-ball shooting.
After two games in the Summer League, Hayes’ struggles to shoot the three continue to plague him. In their matchup against the Thunder, Hayes attempted two shots from beyond the arc, he missed both. In their second game against the Houston Rockets, Hayes failed to sink any of his four shots from three-point range.
Hayes’ continuing struggles to shoot from long range do not bode well for the upcoming season. If the young point guard is unable to increase his shooting efficiency, a backcourt tandem of Hayes and Cunningham would be bad for the development of both youngsters.
In the ideal scenario, a Cunningham and Hayes backcourt would allow the two young point guards to split time as the main ball-handler and initiator on offense. When one is bringing the ball up the court the other becomes an off-ball shooting threat. If Hayes’ struggles from three continue, this dynamic would not properly work.
Without the threat of being a potential catch-and-shoot guy on the outside, teams can help off of Hayes on defense. Freeing up a help defender when Hayes is playing off-ball would make it harder for Cunningham to effectively orchestrate Detroit’s offense.
Inevitably, Hayes’ continuing inefficiency would either place him in a bench role, or delegate Cunningham to an almost entirely off-ball role when the two share the court. With Cunningham being the face of the franchise for Detroit, relegating him to an off-ball role would hinder his development and Detroit’s future outlook.
As the first overall pick and future of the team, Cunningham should have the ball in his hands the majority of the time when Detroit is on offense. Cunningham should be the primary initiator and ball-handler, not Hayes.
Forcing Hayes to be an off-ball shooter seriously hinders the effectiveness of Detroit’s offense, but forcing Cunningham into an off-ball role reduces his impact on the game.
The best player to pair with Cunningham in Detroit’s starting lineup would be Hamidou Diallo. While the restricted free agent is still yet to be re-signed by Detroit, all signs point to his return. Diallo’s athleticism and length provide him with superb defensive potential. His athleticism also makes him a great cutter off-ball.
Additionally, Diallo’s career-high 39 percent three-point shooting last season would adequately space the floor and keep defenders engaged while Cunningham is running the offense.
Hayes coming off the bench would allow both players to be the primary ball-handler in separate lineups. Plus, the second unit needs a playmaker.