3 takeaways from Pistons’ overtime thriller vs. the Hornets
Killian Hayes’ confidence is growing for the Detroit Pistons
Killian Hayes was thrust into action early last night because of Cade Cunningham’s foul trouble and I thought he had one of his best games of the season.
Hayes only scored six points, but he added seven rebounds and seven assists, and was a real calming presence in the half court offensively.
He’s playing with more confidence since moving to the bench, and had one of his best moves of the season last night when he went behind the back and took it all the way to the rim for the score and foul.
Tough move. Tough bucket. 🤧@BallySportsDET | @iam_killian pic.twitter.com/QZuIJNalOM
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) February 28, 2022
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He affected the game in a lot of different ways, much like Marcus Smart did against the Pistons the night before. Smart is the model for Killian, as he can disrupt a game with his defense and passing and make an impact without scoring.
Hayes played the entire 4th quarter and overtime and was a big part of the Pistons’ win. His confidence is growing with every game and I do think the Pistons’ patience with him is starting to pay off.
Coach Casey had him out there to close out the game and he made the key inbounds pass on the final play. These are the kinds of games that are going to build his confidence and speed up his development.