The Detroit Pistons were impressive in their first preseason game against the San Antonio Spurs, winning 115-105 behind a solid team effort.
It was great to see the team in action and to hear the voices of George Blaha and Greg Kelser, which to me, is the sound of basketball.
There were plenty of positives in this one as Jerami Grant, Josh Jackson and Kelly Olynyk all had good games and looked to be in mid-season form. The Pistons also only turned the ball over ten times, which is a great sign for a young team in their first preseason game, as this was a huge issue last season.
There were also some negatives, as the Detroit Pistons offense was stagnant at times and they took plenty of bad shots, though they did shoot 51 percent as a team (more on that later).
With Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes on the bench with twisted ankles, the Pistons were shorthanded but showed improved depth from last season and still got the win.
Preseason is the time to overreact to everything, so here are some wild overreactions from the first game.
The Detroit Pistons can shoot!
The Pistons did shoot 51 percent as a team, but we may need to pump the brakes on this narrative because the numbers don’t tell the whole story.
The Pistons rode a red-hot first quarter to get to those numbers and still only shot 35 percent overall from long range, exactly their percentage from last season when they were 22nd in the league overall.
Even some of the 3-point shots they made were flukes, as Isaiah Stewart banked one home and Josh Jackson hit one super high degree of difficulty long-gun that was heavily contested.
Most of their 3-point makes were in the first quarter and after that it was pretty much just Trey Lyles.
The Pistons were missing Cunningham, who may be their best overall shooter, but this is something we are going to track all season, as the Pistons must improve in this area.
The best shots came in the first and third quarters, when the Detroit Pistons were moving the ball effectively and making the extra pass. When their offense stagnated in the half court and the ball wasn’t moving, the shots were much more difficult.
Detroit Pistons: Saddiq Bey is going to be an All-Star!
Ok, so Saddiq Bey is very unlikely to be an All-Star, but you have to like what he showed in the first preseason game.
I thought Bey looked fantastic in Summer League and is the Piston mostly likely to have a breakout season.
Bey showed improved decision making with the ball, notching three assists and flashing improved ball skills.
In the first quarter Bey had a strong take to the hoop, drew in the defenders and then dumped it off to Beef Stew for the dunk. Later in the first quarter he got the ball in the post, backed his man in using his superior strength and then whipped it cross court to Jerami Grant for the open 3-pointer.
He also had a great move in the second quarter when he got his man off his feet with a pump fake and then hit the leaner.
Bey also grabbed five rebounds and was active on defense, showing that he is a lot more than just a guy who can shoot 3-pointers.
Bey has added some nuance to his offensive game and is going to be a lot harder to defend this season. Overreaction or not, I love this guy.
Detroit Pistons: Cory Jospeh is the best point guard on the team!
Ok, so this isn’t true, but Cory Joseph did have a nice game and showed why he is the frontrunner to grab the backup point guard spot.
Joseph ended the game with 14 points, 6 assists and zero turnovers and the offense was noticeably more fluid when he was in the game.
Saben Lee got the start with Cunningham and Hayes out, but once they are back, Lee might be headed to the G-League because Joseph has been nothing but productive since joining the Pistons last season and gives them a veteran presence off the bench.
Dwane Casey talked about how he would use a “young” starting lineup, bringing most of his veterans off the bench and this makes sense to me, as they can be a calming influence when the young players get down but can also extend leads when the Pistons get out to a fast start.
Lee struggled in his 23 minutes, showing that he can penetrate and get to the hoop but not making great decisions or finishing once he got there.
Joseph isn’t nearly as athletic or explosive but he makes good decisions with the ball and uses his size and strength to get where he wants.
Joseph is not a flashy name but he is going to be a good backup point guard for the Detroit Pistons this season.