Saddiq Bey reaping the benefits of patience for Pistons

Saddiq Bey continued his recent stretch of scoring outbursts with a career-high 34 point, 8 rebound performance in the Detroit Pistons’ victory over the defending NBA champions.

Over the last nine games, Bey has averaged 25 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists, on 44 percent shooting from the field, and 38 percent from the three point line.

Last night ended a sixteen game losing streak to the Milwaukee Bucks, and gave the Pistons a 2-0 record in the New Year.

On the season, Bey is averaging 15.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists, with the third highest usage rate on the team, trailing only Cade Cunningham and Jerami Grant.

Saddiq is cementing his role as a cornerstone piece for an offense that has desperately needed shot creation with Jerami Grant being ruled out for the foreseeable future.

Detroit Pistons: Saddiq Bey stayed patient during slump

Prior to the last nine games, Bey was entrenched in a brutal shooting slump, yet remained in the gym, and continued to shoot the ball, drawing the praise of his teammates and many more within the organization for his work ethic.

The forward is now reaping the benefits of his work, and doesn’t appear to be cooling off anytime soon.

Even in the midst of his poor shooting stretch, Bey’s pace, ability to pick his spots, and movement off the ball were all still obvious, presenting him with opportunities that he has now been able to fully capitalize on within the last nine games.

Without Grant, Bey will have an even greater chance of lifting an offense that will continue to lean on his contributions.

Over the last ten games, Bey has played an average of 37.5 minutes, almost four minutes more than his season average of 33.6.

While it remains to be seen if Saddiq can sustain this stretch, it’s certain he’ll have the role to do so, and possibly cement himself as Detroit’s undisputed go-to guy.

If last night’s game was any indication, Saddiq Bey’s future with the Pistons is promising.