Detroit Pistons: Saddiq Bey showed some things we wanted to see

The Detroit Pistons lost their opener against the Chicago Bulls behind some brutal shooting.

The Pistons played energetic and tough defense but were undone by shooting 21 percent from 3-point range and just 40 percent overall.

This has been a problem dating back to last season, one that the Pistons hope will improve when Cade Cunningham returns.

Saddiq Bey shot just 6-of-15 and missed all four of his long-range shots, so it wasn’t a banner night for him shooting the ball either.

However, he did show some things that fans of the Detroit Pistons should be excited about, as Bey looks primed to make a leap in his second season.

Detroit Pistons: Saddiq Bey, getting to the rim and grabbing boards

I thought the Pistons played well defensively against a good Bulls team, which was one of the big positives from the game. Bey defended just about everyone on the Bulls at times and as usual, gave a solid effort.

One of the reasons the Pistons were able to do this was that they rebounded the ball well, which is going to be an issue all season for an undersized team.

This included Bey, who grabbed nine rebounds to lead the team. With two undersized centers on the roster, the Pistons are going to need everyone to pitch in on the boards, especially on the defensive end. They held the Bulls to just nine offensive rebounds overall, while grabbing 11 of their own, which is a good sign.

Even though he didn’t always get the results he wanted, Bey also looked comfortable getting to the rim and flashed some nice one-on-one moves as well as his strength.

He bullied Lonzo Ball at one point, backing him to the rim and finishing with ease. He also had a few up and under moves that worked well but the shots just didn’t fall. Most nights they will, so Bey just has to keep at it.

To me it looked like he was fouled several times on these takes but didn’t get the calls, something else that will change if he gets to the rim consistently.

Bey also did a nice job finding teammates on these drives, as he finished the game with four assists and had some nice looks to Isaiah Stewart and Jerami Grant after he had drawn the defenders.

The Detroit Pistons didn’t get the “W” and there are no participation trophies in the NBA, but Saddiq Bey did some of the things we wanted to see out of him, which is a positive sign for his development and for the team moving forward.