Detroit Pistons: 3 things lost in the brawl vs. Lakers
Hamidou Diallo played his best overall game for the Pistons
Someone must have lit a fire under Hamidou Diallo last night because he came to Little Caesar’s Arena ready to play.
His energy, defense and rebounding really gave the Pistons a spark. Diallo finished the night with 17 points, six rebounds, two steals and a block while flying around on defense, running the floor and doing all of the things we expected him to do after the Pistons re-signed him in the offseason.
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Diallo provides a boost of athleticism that the Pistons sorely lack, and he was running circles around the Lakers most of the night. I thought this sequence was the best of the season and Diallo was at the heart of it:
https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1462573238811197443
Of course, Diallo did have a turnover on the final play of the game, throwing a pass to no one when it appeared he thought he was going to be immediately fouled.
The ball should have never been in his hands (he shouldn’t have been in the game) but it was disappointing that the Pistons didn’t even get a shot off on the final play. Just give the ball to Cade Cunningham and let him work, this isn’t that hard.
Diallo played his way into the rotation, hopefully permanently, but no one is going to be talking about that today.