The Detroit Pistons lost their 14th game in a row, and there is no end in sight.
This was one of the games in December I thought they might win, especially since Houston was missing two of their starting guards.
But the Pistons’ neglected to play any defense and once again were undone by a bad quarter where they failed to score 20 points.
The Pistons are now at risk of carrying a 20-game losing streak into the new year and breaking the all-time franchise record for consecutive losses. Ouch.
There wasn’t much to be excited about in this game, as the bench was absolutely atrocious, with every player logging a negative plus/minus.
But there were a couple of bright spots, and at this point, it’s all we’ve got.
Saddiq Bey is turning it around for the Detroit Pistons
Saddiq Bey has been working hard to get out of his shooting slump and the last two games he seems to have figured some things out.
Bey has been more aggressive with his takes, getting to the line more frequently and not being so indecisive with the ball, which is how you break a slump.
Even though they still lost the games, it’s been good to see some shots going in for Saddiq Bey, who is a part of the Pistons long-term plans and really need to show some progress.
The ball movement has been better
Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes combined for 21 assists and six turnovers last night for the Detroit Pistons, the first time they’ve had two guys with double-digit assists in a LONG time.
The ball has been moving more freely without Jerami Grant in the lineup and the Pistons have actually been shooting fewer three-point shots, which is probably a good idea considering how terrible their shooting has been.
The Pistons have averaged three more assists per game without Grant and last night Cunningham and Hayes both had some amazing passes, including one behind-the-back job by Cade to set up Luka Garza for a 3-pointer.
The offense has been faster and more fun to watch in general, and they are scoring eight more points per game without Grant. The problem is that they are allowing eight more per game as well, so it hasn’t really mattered.
We are in the “let’s look at the bright side” part of this season and the rebound of Saddiq Bey and the passing of the two guards is pretty much all we have right now.