A lot of the talk around the Detroit Pistons’ offseason has been about Killian Hayes and how he will fit with number one pick Cade Cunningham.
Hayes is predicted to be in the starting lineup with Cunningham and many have expressed doubt that he will be a fit, as he needs the ball in his hands to be effective and doesn’t offer much in the way of scoring to space the floor for Cade.
It’s easy to say that Hayes just needs to get better as a shooter, but that is not going to happen overnight, so until then there are myriad ways he can contribute offensively without jacking a lot of 3-point shots.
The key for Killian so far in training camp has been playing at a much faster pace and this is going to be important to unlocking his offense this season.
Detroit Pistons: Killian Hayes is playing with pace
Dwane Casey has talked about how Hayes came into camp as a rookie and wasn’t prepared for the speed of the NBA. This seems to have changed, as coaches have so far been impressed with the pace at which Killian is playing:
Dwane Casey said Killian Hayes is leading the team in assists during camp so far. He's had the ball in his hands more than Cunningham so far. "I love the way he's pushing the pace."
— Offseason O (@omarisankofa) September 30, 2021
Some fans will be angry to read the “Ball in his hands more than Cunningham” part, as this is Cade’s team now and many feel he should be the primary ball handler.
But the key to that quote is “pushing the pace” as Hayes can be more of playmaker in transition for the Detroit Pistons while Cunningham handles the ball more in the half court.
Both Hayes and Cunningham are very good in the pick-and-roll but Hayes is far less of a threat to score, which means it will be Cade who has the ball in his hands when the shot clock is winding down.
Hayes will be the point guard in transition, something he is very good at, especially when it comes to throwing spectacular passes off the bounce that travel the entire length of the court.
Playing fast, pushing in transition and getting into offensive sets early will be key for Hayes, as teams won’t be able to target him in the half-court offense as much.
The Pistons have other guards who could start with Cunningham, but none of them have the ceiling of Killian Hayes, so he needs to play to his strengths in year two and not worry so much about his long-distance shots.
If he can lead the Pistons in transition and continue to play fast, he could lead the team in assists and be a key part of the offense without scoring a ton of points.