Detroit Pistons’ patience with Killian Hayes is paying off

The refrain for Killian Hayes of the Detroit Pistons has been the same for two seasons now.

“Let’s wait until he’s played 82 games before we cast judgment”.

This phrase – or any other variation of the same message – has been echoed tirelessly by Killian Hayes truthers for the past two years. It’s almost become a meme at this point.

Maybe for good reason?

This of course refers to the number of games the 2nd-year guard has missed in his career due to injury. Only recently did Killian Hayes eclipse a full season’s worth of games. Interestingly enough, his six games since that 82 game threshold have been eye-opening, capped off by the best game he’s played in a Detroit Pistons uniform on Friday night.

In his dominant performance against Oklahoma City, Hayes slashed a line of 26/7/8, and got it done on the defensive end to the tune of five steals and two blocks. In fact, he is the first Piston to post a statline like this since another guy that Pistons fans may recognize:

This performance tied together what has been an impressive stretch of performances as the Detroit Pistons close out their 2021-2022 campaign. He’s playing the best basketball of his young career, and proving that the fans may have been right in cautioning the urge to label Killian a “bust” so early in his career.

The Pistons had no choice but to be patient with Killian, and is it starting pay dividends.

Detroit Pistons: What has changed for Killian Hayes?

It seems that coach Dwane Casey’s mid-season decision to move Hayes to the bench unit has paid dividends. On top of this, some of the late-season lineups the Detroit Pistons have been rolling out have lended themselves to increased opportunities for the younger guys on the roster who are itching to leave a lasting impression on the coaching staff heading into the offseason – and impress they have.

Of course, a move to the second unit cannot be looked upon as the sole reason for Hayes’ improvements. It is abundantly clear that he is attacking his opponents with a newfound level of confidence and aggressiveness. His drives to the rim seem much more intentional than they have in the past. He isn’t shying away from contact, and is playing with a swagger sends a clear message to whoever is tasked with guarding him: “try and stop me”.

Perhaps the most impressive part of his newly-employed offensive approach is that it hasn’t come at the expense of his previously established strengths, specifically his playmaking.

Despite his scoring spike – he’s averaging 13 points per game in this six-game stretch since his 82nd game, compared with his overall season average 6.7 – he’s still as consistent as ever in terms of his passing.

When his drives prove fruitless, he seems to have a heater of a kick out loaded at all times. His vision remains his best skill, and the flashes for which he was drafted 7th overall are becoming much more frequent.

Here’s an example of the vision and awareness he maintains while driving to the hoop when a defender cut off his lane:

Whether he’s looking to call his own number or get his teammates involved, time and time again he seems to be making the right basketball play. For a player who’s decision making has been relentlessly besmirched by his naysayers, Hayes is on a mission to prove them all wrong.

Killian Hayes and the future of the Detroit Pistons

With Killian’s spike in production and a looming spot in the Pistons backcourt expected to be filled somewhat soon, could the Pistons stay in-house to do so? Many fans (admittedly, myself included) had essentially written him off as the future running-mate for Cade Cunningham long-term.

While Hayes is doing everything he can to ensure that the front office and coaching staff don’t overlook him when addressing this question, I think it’s still too early to determine whether or not he is the answer next to Cade. The duo clearly carries immense upside both defensively and in terms of playmaking.

However, perhaps more than anything, the Pistons need to prioritize shooting around Cunningham. Unfortunately, that is still an area that Hayes needs to improve in. He’s flashed the ability of being a somewhat reliable shooter from deep, specifically in the corners. But these flashes haven’t been consistent enough to necessarily believe he’ll project as a good-to-great 3-point shooter long-term.

If the Pistons are presented with the opportunity to grab a knockdown shooting wing to pair with Saddiq Bey in the draft (think Jabari Smith Jr., Keegan Murray), then entrusting Hayes with the opportunity to start alongside Cade going forward makes more sense. If not, the Pistons may decide that they prefer him as the leader of the bench unit. Regardless, Hayes is undoubtedly making the deliberation much more interesting. Here’s to hoping he can finish off the season as strong as his play has been since his completion of a “full 82”.