The Detroit Pistons opened up the NBA preseason on a positive note.
The team’s 115-105 victory over the San Antonio Spurs was highlighted by a 39 point first quarter, quick transition offense and a strong showing from the bench.
Detroit accomplished this without the aid of rookie Cade Cunningham or second-year guard Killian Hayes. Heading into their second preseason game, it appears Detroit could be without both guards for a second straight game.
Cunningham has already been listed as out. The Pistons have reason to be protective of the 19-year-old who is working through a nagging ankle injury. Hayes is listed as questionable and could again be a game-time decision.
Detroit Pistons: Shooting in the preseason
Even without their two young prospects, Detroit’s preseason game against the Memphis Grizzlies will provide plenty of opportunity for development and tuning and experimenting with rotations.
Despite their victory in game number one, the Detroit Pistons were far from perfect against the Spurs.
The team opened their game against San Antonio knocking down seven of their 10 shot attempts from three-point range. They followed that up with a combined 20.8 percent shooting from beyond the arc for the rest of the game.
Detroit’s offense would occasionally fall stagnant resulting in low scoring and poor ball movement. This issue was particularly prevalent in the second quarter in which Detroit only managed 15 points as a team.
In their upcoming game against Memphis, Detroit has the opportunity to show growth from game one to game two. Here are three things to look out for in the Pistons matchup with the Grizzlies.