Saddiq Bey has been mired in a season-long slump for the Detroit Pistons but last night showed exactly how he will break out of it.
Bey scored 28 points and added 10 rebounds and five assists against the Indiana Pacers while rocking a headband for the first time this season.
Look, I am not saying the headband was the reason he had his best game of the year, but when you are slumping as badly as Bey has been, you’ll try anything and last night, the headband worked.
Bey scored 13 points and grabbed four rebounds in the first quarter alone and showed the Pistons how to break out of shooting slump.
I should say that I have loved Bey’s attitude during this shooting spell, as he has not let it get him down and instead has vowed to work even harder to improve, which you love to see:
Perfect answer. Let’s go, Saddiq, you got this. https://t.co/k3vft3tmQP
— PistonPowered (@PistonPowered) December 14, 2021
Hopefully last night was a sign that Saddiq Bey “got out of this” and he did it with some veteran savvy.
Saddiq Bey needs to score without jumpshots
Every coach will tell you that the best way to get out of a slump is to see the ball go through the rim in any way you can.
Saddiq Bey did this last night, getting a few easy buckets and free throws early in the game that set him up for success.
This came from running the floor hard, getting on the boards and getting fouled.
Bey got an easy put back in the first quarter after running the floor hard in transition, got fouled on a take to the rim and was aggressive going after rebounds.
He did take one bad 3-point shot when the offense stagnated, but his other long-range shot was in transition and he was able to step into without a defender in his face.
It was obvious that Bey made it a mission to get a little closer to the rim and not just settle for jumpers, which is a smart plan when you aren’t hitting them.
Bey ended up 7-of-7 from the line, which is a place he can eat if he continues to play with this type of energy and aggression from the power forward position.
I also loved that Bey took it to the rim aggressively and tried to dunk instead of stopping, pump faking and allowing the entire defense to surround him as he often does. He made quick, aggressive decisions and went up with intent, which is what he needs to do every time.
He has the strength and size to get buckets in the post but he can’t be indecisive or pump-fake himself out of an open dunk. Go up strong and make them foul you, which is what Bey did last night.
It’s only one game, so it’s too early to know if “headband” Saddiq Bey is out of this slump yet, but I love that he figured out ways to score last night without just chucking jumpers, which is a credit to Bey and to the coaching staff for sticking with him during this slump.