10 biggest disappointments during Pistons’ 10-game losing streak

Detroit Pistons’  10 biggest disappointments

Josh Jackson not playing

I really wanted Josh Jackson to make a leap this season, as he is local and wants to be in Detroit. I love that he plays with an edge and is a pretty good defender at times. If nothing else, I was hoping he’d play well enough to garner something in a trade, as he is on the final year of his deal and doesn’t look to have a future with the team. Instead, he’s barely played, so he’s not even being showcased as trade bait. It’s been disappointing all around for JJ, who now looks like a guy the Pistons couldn’t give away and will probably walk for nothing at the end of the season.

Saben Lee: G-League Legend

Saben Lee put up another 40 point game in the G-League, and has arguably been the best player in the league this season. Unfortunately, that has  not translated to the NBA, where he has been trash and is shooting 22 percent from 3-point range and just 34 percent overall. In his defense, he has not gotten regular minutes this season or a chance to get into a rhythm, so it’s not all his fault, but at some point he has to do something when he gets in there. It’s disappointing that he hasn’t been able to beat out Cory freaking Joseph.

Jerami Grant still can’t pass

Raise your hand if you are getting sick of watching Jerami Grant launch impossible shots while falling to the ground. Grant has put up numbers lately but he has done it on incredibly high degree of difficulty two-point shots and free throws. Most of his points come at the line, and he is good at throwing his body into defenders. What he is not good at is passing out of these drives. Once Grant gets the ball, it’s pretty much over for the offensive possession, as he is going to shoot it. The more he dribbles, the less chance he has of making the shot, and he is simply not a good isolation player. That doesn’t stop the Pistons from repeatedly running iso plays for him in clutch time even though they have one of the best clutch scorers in the league in rookie Cade Cunningham, who is leading all rookies in clutch points. Grant looks like a sack of elbows on his drives and relies on either making a tough fall away shot or the ref’s whistle to bail him out.

Dwane Casey’s play calls in the clutch

I have defended Casey as much as anyone, but I am starting to lose patience with some of these play calls late in close games. Casey repeatedly goes to Jerami Grant isolations in these situations, as he did last night in the final play of regulation. Grant threw himself into the defender again, put up an impossible shot and got bailed out by the ref, making both free throws to tie the game, but that was hardly a good play.

At the end of overtime, Casey had Cade Cunningham, a guy who was 4-of-4 in extra time and is far and away the Pistons’ best shooter, inbounding the ball with less than a second on the clock. If there was more time, I could see him being the inbounder, as he is also the Pistons’ best passer and there might have been a chance for him to get it back for a game-tying 3-point attempt, but with .6 left there was no such opportunity.

LET THE BEST PLAYER ON YOUR TEAM TAKE THE SHOT! How hard is this? A child would know this, so it is pretty disappointing that an NBA coach thinks having Cade inbound the ball on the final play is somehow a smart idea. After all of that battling, it comes down to Frank Jackson launching an off-balance shot from near half court while Cade stood out of bounds watching. Pathetic.

And disappointing. Which are two words that accurately describe this 10-game losing streak.